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Article published In: Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 24:4 (2025) ► pp.616–649

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Moral panic and (in)security

Hispanic and Latinx immigrants in the shadow of Trump and right-wing populism

ORCiD logo with link | University of Malaya
ORCiD logo with link | University of Malaya
Published online: 26 August 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.22096.zha
Abstract
This study examines Trump’s depiction of Hispanic and Latinx immigrants, highlighting his use of moral panic to activate fear and thereby deepen societal divisions within a broader right-wing populist agenda. Analyzing nearly half a million words from Trump’s tweets using corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis, the research reveals that he portrays Hispanic and Latinx immigrants as the ‘object of offence,’ amplifying their perceived threat while ‘scapegoating’ political adversaries and other nations. As a ‘moral entrepreneur,’ he and his allies position themselves as protectors against this perceived danger, warning of severe ‘consequences’ for national security and the economy if left unaddressed. Their ‘corrective action’ involves implementing strict immigration policies, with the ‘desired outcome’ being enhanced security and economic prosperity. The study demonstrates how the deployment of moral panic generates public fear and insecurity, legitimizing anti-immigrant sentiments and justifying stringent measures. This, in turn, reinforces right-wing populism narratives with significant societal implications.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Immigration issues in U.S.
    • 1.2Moral panic
    • 1.3Right-wing populism (RWP)
  • 2.Methodology
    • 2.1Corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis
    • 2.2Corpora and tools
    • 2.3Detecting linguistic patterns in moral panic
  • 3.Findings
    • 3.1Keywords
    • 3.2Moral panic and (in)security
      • 3.2.1Object of offence
        • The illegal status
        • Border issues
        • Large-scale immigration
      • 3.2.2Scapegoat
        • Scapegoating political opponents and policies
        • Scapegoating other countries
      • 3.2.3Moral entrepreneur
      • 3.2.4Consequence
      • 3.2.5Corrective action
      • 3.2.6Desired outcome
      • 3.2.7Moral panic rhetoric
  • 4.Conclusion
  • References
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Cited by (1)

Cited by one other publication

Conyers, Addrain
2025. Moral panic: An administrative tool of fear and marginalization. Administrative Theory & Praxis 47:2 ► pp. 168 ff. DOI logo

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