The Opinions Trump Is America’s First Meme President
21 snips
Sep 23, 2025 
Adam Aleksic, a linguist and author known as Etymology Nerd, and sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom, a New York Times opinion columnist, delve into how Trump’s communication style has reshaped American culture. They discuss Trump's memetic speech patterns and how his phrases have become part of everyday language. The conversation covers the role of humor and social media algorithms in amplifying emotional content. They also explore how Trump’s social media use influences political discourse and other politicians' media strategies.
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Rule-Breaking Became Relatable
- Trump breaks elite rules of public speaking but that signals relatability to many listeners.
- Adam Aleksic notes his TV-savvy style generated far more media attention during the 2015–16 campaign.
Phrasal Templates Fuel Memes
- Trump popularized phrasal templates that operate like Mad Libs and are easily reused online.
- These templates let people plug in words to create memes that outlive the original context.
Adaptability And Humor Drive Spread
- Memes spread when they're adaptable and funny, letting users apply them to new contexts.
- Aleksic cites studies showing Trump's syntactic style is uniquely viral because it reads as informal and odd.
