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Discourses and Strategies of the Global Far Right, Vol. 32 - 2025, No. 1
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Deification: Examining the Construction of Donald Trump's Superhuman Persona
AI-generated visuals are increasingly used in political campaigns to shape public perception, yet how they construct political personas and engage audiences remains underexplored. This study examines how the ideologically aligned online use of AI-generated images during Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign constructs a superhuman persona for him and provokes diverse audience responses. Employing a mixed-method approach, we conducted a visual rhetoric analysis to explore the symbolic and narrative strategies embedded in these visuals and a thematic analysis of social media posts and comments guided by the reception theory and participatory culture theory. Our findings reveal several key themes and rhetorical strategies in such visuals including the use of metaphors, symbolism, and colours to craft a powerful and mythic image of Trump while audience responses range from supportive reinterpretations to oppositional critiques. Additionally, participatory practices such as sharing and remixing were found to amplify these polarised narratives. This study contributes to understanding the dual role of AI-generated content in political messaging and its potential to reinforce ideological divides.
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