| ID | 190297 |
| Title Proper | Securitisation of the President |
| Other Title Information | Trump as a national security threat |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Neo, Ric |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Employing securitisation theory, this article critically evaluates political discourses in the United States involving US President Donald Trump. It makes two main arguments: first, present political discourses against Trump can be understood as part of a concerted securitisation process in which Trump’s presidency is constructed as a threat to US national security. The securitisation of an issue gives credence to the need for emergency measures to resolve a purported threat; within this context, the process aims to justify measures including the emergency impeachment of the President. Next, using primary data gathered from an online questionnaire (n = 529) and secondary data from polling agencies, this article demonstrates that there had been popular resonance and acceptance of the securitisation discourse, that sufficient institutional support for impeachment was generated and that there was low coherence of counter-narratives opposed to the securitisation. This article highlights how securitisation can be undertaken over a protracted span of time through both discourses and practices, and in concert by a slew of actors rather than being carried out by a single lead actor. Importantly, it suggests that analysing audience responses to an unfolding securitising move can generate valuable insights about the securitisation processes and its potential outcomes. |
| `In' analytical Note | Cambridge Review of International Affairs Vol. 35, No.6; Dec 2022: p.846-867 |
| Journal Source | Cambridge Review of International Affairs Vol: 35 No 6 |
| Key Words | Security Threat ; Trump ; Securitisation of the President |