From Firebrand to Status Quo: Populist Discourse on China during the Trump Years

This dissertation deals with the discourse of President Trump on China during his time in office. In departing from his political predecessors by engaging with China in a more protectionist manner, this dissertation seeks to understand this rhetoric in light of Trump's anti-establishment populism and in the context of the perceived global power struggle between the United States and China. By mapping out what narratives appear in Trump's discourse on China, this dissertation argues that there is an interaction between domestic political and geopolitical factors that undergird this rhetoric. Initially, Trump used a trade war, partially underpinned by considerations of systemic rivalry, for electoral gain. Balancing domestic political motivations and perceived geopolitical realities, the latter gained more prominence when for instance the coronavirus pandemic produced domestic political and economic concern for Trump's administration. Such developments in the bilateral relations in turn offered new domestic political opportunities for Trump.