Blog #3

In the New York Times editorial article, "Donald Trump Jr. and the Culture of Dishonesty" the author argues that Americans should distrust Trump and Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr. The author of the article is targeting all Americans and making them question if they believe Trump and his administration are trustworthy. The author formulates the argument by using rhetorical questions and an appeal to the emotions. The author uses a rhetorical question, “If a culture of dishonesty takes root in an administration, how can Americans believe anything its officials say?” (The Editorial Board, “Donald Trump Jr and the Culture of Dishonesty”) to make Americans question the validity of the Trump administration. By using a rhetorical question, it makes Americans think about their believes. Through the use of a rhetorical question, it strengths the authors argument. In addition, the author also uses an appeal to the emotions through informal diction which strengthens the author’s argument. The author claims that since Trump has been in office “Trump has compiled a record of dishonesty- ranging from casual misstatements to flat-out lies” (Editorial Board, “Donald Trump Jr and the Culture of Dishonesty”). The use of the informal words “flat out lies” makes the reader unable to justify that Trump is dishonesty. Thus, it makes the reader feel that there is no other way to justify Trump’s actions. Therefore, it makes the reader lose credibility in the Trump administration. The author appears to be credible by using logic such as rhetorical questions and an appeal to the emotions. In conclusion, the use of a rhetorical question and an appeal to the emotions the author is successful in proving his argument that the Trump administration is untrustworthy.