THE Daniel Trishmanprofessor of Political Science at the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) explains to “Vima” what the first indications show for his second term Donald Trump one day before he assumed his presidential duties. Mr. Trishman recently published a study analyzing Trump’s speeches from 2015 to 2024, comparing them to the speeches of other US presidents and presidential candidates and various world leaders.
The bottom line is that Trump’s use of violent language has intensified over the years and is now among “among the most extreme of the democratic leaders we studied”. Finally, “the increasing violence in his rhetoric reveals a strategy designed to sow anxiety in order to bolster demand for a strong leader.”
What differences do you see between the Donald Trump of 2025 and the one of 2017?
“Donald Trump, who takes office tomorrow as president of the United States, uses much more violent rhetoric and with much more confidence than the Trump who entered the White House in 2017, according to research we conducted. In fact, the use of words he does, which are related to danger and fighting, is comparable mainly to presidents who have served during the periods of the greatest wars in history.
While obviously the rhetoric politicians use isn’t always a reliable indicator of what actions they’ll take, Trump’s growing adherence to violent rhetoric and populism may provide insight into his future approach as president and, no doubt, when violent rhetoric is at these levels, it’s something to worry about.”
What do you think we will see regarding the war in Ukraine?
“All we really know to date is that Trump is declaring that he will end the war in Ukraine immediately with some kind of deal. It seems unlikely, however, with the image that exists now on the war front and the effectiveness that Russia is demonstrating, that an agreement will be found that will appear fair to Ukraine and Europe. So the question is what kind of dialogue will Trump have with Russian President Putin.”
So, could there be a change in American policy toward Putin’s Russia?
“During Trump’s previous term, there was a fairly friendly approach to Putin and Russia, but he also approved the sending of lethal weapons to Ukraine to a greater extent than his then-predecessor Barack Obama.
Moreover, his outlandish recent statements about buying Greenland – or even invading the island – are partly aimed at countering the Russian threat as he perceives it. I think anything is possible – from a rapid de-escalation of relations with Putin to an even more hostile approach to Russia than we saw from the Biden administration. Be that as it may, I think there is a real danger.’
What kind of relations can we expect Trump to pursue with the rest of the world’s authoritarian leaders?
“It has now become clear that Trump is comfortable with authoritarian leaders who focus on trade policy and tough rhetoric. It has also become clear that he hopes to make deals with them without much concern for international institutions, human rights and other liberal concerns.
However, we must note that in his first term he did not achieve much with this rationale. That is, the US did not gain visible benefits from Trump’s friendly approach to Putin, Erdogan, Orban or Kim Jong Un. It remains to be seen whether Trump will realize in his second term that such leaders seek to exploit him.”
