The Power of Persuasion: Examining the Impact of Legitimization Strategies in Trump's 2020 Microtargeted Facebook Campaign Ads on American Democracy

Abstract

Abstract: This article examines the impact of legitimization discursive strategies in micro-targeted ads on American democracy. A sample of Trump's 2020 Facebook ads from Florida, a swing state, was analyzed from August 1st to September 1st. The study used Van Leeuwen (2007) Reyes (2011) and Van Dijk's (2006) legitimation discursive strategies in addition to Kress and Van Leeuwen's Model of Visual Grammar (2006) to decode non-verbal elements. Findings show the presence of strategies like mythopoesis, victimization, polarization, and dramatization. Although not inherently harmful, when combined with micro-targeting, these strategies stifle the marketplace of ideas and pose a threat to American democracy. Keywords: American Democracy; Critical discourse analysis; Facebook Ads; Legitimization; Microtargeting.