The Importance of Non-verbal Communication in Presidential Debates: An Analysis of Trump vs. Harris.

Abstract

In this paper, an analysis will be conducted on the importance of non-verbal communication in political debates. In public speaking, most of the weight of communication lies on non-verbal language (Mehrabian, 1972). In a context like political debates, the importance of non-verbal communication is even greater, as it is essential for ensuring that the orally transmitted message resonates with and has an impact on the audience. Gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice can either reinforce the orally conveyed message or contradict it as Riggio and Feldman (2005) explained. Politicians are instructed in this field from the outset; they are taught to use their bodies as instruments of persuasion to sway the audience in their favour. The objective of this paper will be to analyse how non-verbal communication is used in U.S. presidential debates, and how they influence the audience, focusing on the 2024 Trump vs Harris presidential debate. The paper will be divided into two main parts. In the first part, I will define the concept of non-verbal communication and the different elements that comprise it; and I will undertake a thorough revision on relevant literature on the role of non-verbal communication in American politics throughout history, with particular attention to presidential debates, using sources such as Nonverbal Communication, Mehrabian (1972) or Applications of Nonverbal Communication, Ronald E. Riggio and Robert S. Feldman (2005). The second part will consist in an in-depth analysis of the distinctive non-verbal skills used by both the candidates in the presidential debate between Donal Trump and Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections, where I will apply the methods and concepts presented in the background literature section of the thesis. This will be complemented by an examination of a selection of press articles on the event, published in major American newspapers, The New York Times or The Washington Post, immediately after the debate, focusing the attention on their evaluation and analysis of the candidates’ non-verbal communication style.