Populism in the Digital Age: The Spectacle of Political Discourse in the U.S. and Germany

This thesis investigates how digital platforms shape ethnopopulist discourse by analyzing tweets from two actors: United States presidential candidate Donald Trump and the German political party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Using critical discourse analysis grounded in constructivist theory, it identifies discursive strategies—such as nomination, predication, argumentation, perspectivization, and intensification—that frame immigration as an existential crisis and construct binary “us vs. them” narratives. Despite national and cultural differences, both actors employ remarkably similar rhetorical tools to delegitimize political opponents and amplify fear-driven messaging. The thesis highlights the role of social media in transforming political communication and fueling polarization, emphasizing the strategic use of digital media to mobilize support and reinforce ideological divides. These findings contribute to understanding how language and media interact to shape public perception and political engagement in contemporary democracies.