Turn-taking and argumentation in the 2020 US presidential debate

Abstract Intense argumentation characterised the 2020 U.S. presidential debate. This study investigates the turn-taking strategies employed by Donald Trump and Joe Biden to build their arguments during the debate. The analysis draws on Stenström’s (2014) framework of turn-taking and Toulmin’s (2003) model of argumentation. A qualitative method is used, with data consisting of selected utterances from the first and second rounds of presidential debate videos obtained from C-SPAN. The findings indicate that “taking the turn” and its various subcategories are employed predominantly and assertively. Trump uses them to dominate the floor, while Biden adopts a more measured and structured approach. Trump’s arguments are characterised by assertive claims, specific backing, and repetition; Biden, by contrast, structures his arguments through data and warrants. Both candidates make use of distinct sub-strategies of “holding the turn” as they organise and deliver their logical arguments.