Donald Trump’s Use of Race-Based Immigration Discourse in His First Presidency: A Revival of Rhetoric from the Era of Chinese Exclusion

Authors

• Maggie Zeiger, Bowdoin CollegeFollow

Abstract

This paper analyzes race-based rhetoric in Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and subsequent presidency, arguing it represents a return to racialized language not seen in mainstream politics since the era of the Chinese Exclusion Act. With his use of exclusionary discourse, Trump breaks from the precedent set by his modern Republican predecessors, who saw immigration as not only an economic asset but a crucial part of the American tradition. An investigation into Trump’s tweets containing the word “immigration” identifies recurring themes of invasion, criminality, and dehumanization. This vocabulary more closely mirrors themes from the years when politicians were responding to—and creating—hysteria about Chinese immigration, splitting sharply with the precedent the modern, pre-Trump GOP had set. This rhetoric is important not just in the historical context; it functions as a strategic political tool, mobilizing electoral bases and shaping policy agendas. This insight into historical use of exclusionary language and the recent Republican transformation on immigration messaging demonstrates the power of presidential rhetoric to redefine party ideology and bring racialized discourse back into mainstream political debate.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Zeiger, Maggie (2026) "Donald Trump’s Use of Race-Based Immigration Discourse in His First Presidency: A Revival of Rhetoric from the Era of Chinese Exclusion," Bates College Journal of Political Studies: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 14.
Available at: https://scarab.bates.edu/bjps/vol3/iss1/14