Linguist George Lakoff Decodes Trump's 'Yuuuge' Political Wins

51:40
at 10:00 AM
Save ArticleSave Article

Failed to save article

Please try again

This article is more than 6 years old.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the final night of the Republican National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, July 21, 2016.  (RobynBeck/AFP/Getty Images)

As Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican presidential nomination last Thursday, many Americans were left wondering how the outspoken businessman who has never held an elected office managed to be a presidential frontrunner. Cognitive linguist George Lakoff sees Trump's rise as anything but surprising, especially when one considers the candidate's approach to political speech. We talk to Lakoff to get his thoughts on Trump, this year's Democratic National Convention and the implications of the language being used on this election's political stage.

Guests:

George Lakoff, professor emeritus of cognitive science and linguistics, University of California at Berkeley

Sponsored