Linguist George Lakoff Decodes Trump's 'Yuuuge' Political Wins

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Michael Krasny

Jul 28, 2016 at

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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during the final night of the Republican National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, July 21, 2016. (RobynBeck/AFP/Getty Images)

As Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican presidential nomination last Thursday, many Americans were left wondering how the outspoken businessman who has never held an elected office managed to be a presidential frontrunner. Cognitive linguist George Lakoff sees Trump’s rise as anything but surprising, especially when one considers the candidate’s approach to political speech. We talk to Lakoff to get his thoughts on Trump, this year’s Democratic National Convention and the implications of the language being used on this election’s political stage.

Guests:

George Lakoff, professor emeritus of cognitive science and linguistics, University of California at Berkeley

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