Donald Trump and Walt Kowalski, the central character in "Gran Torino," possess unique forms of rhetoric with significant effects on those around them. While Trump's political rhetoric is widely discussed, Walt's cinematic rhetoric offers a distinct perspective. This comparative analysis explores how their words and actions shape relationships and themes in their respective contexts, shedding light on the power of rhetoric in both the political and fictional realms.

• the language of both is dominated by racial slurs and pejoratives
• both have a hostile attitude towards ethnic groups

• Trump is openly racist in public statements
• his language is laced with racist remarks when he talks about ethnic groups (e.g. Mexicans) and thus normalises "othering"
• he publically insults immigrants and thus "opened a space" (l. 34) in society
• emboldens people to exclude and dehumanise others more explicitly, such as members of ethnic groups
• Walt, however, expresses his racist tendencies in being very explicit when talking to ethnic groups (the Hmong; or gangs)
• with derogatory remarks, he insults every immigrant (Hmong) who crosses his path or comes too close to his property
• exchanging insults, swearwords as well as racial slurs with his Italian barber friend, whom he, however, likes (can be more likely understood as bantering)

• Trump's intentions are linked to his political agenda
• his racist behaviour is aimed at pleasing his supporters
• to normalise "othering" leads to the inhibition threshold to condemn members of ethnic groups through slurs is lowered and thus enables the government to deport immigrants (e.g. Mexicans) more easily
• Walt's intentions are more private
• he wants to keep others off his property
• he uses rhetoric to keep others at bay when they encounter, for example, Hmong gangs on the other side, he intends to bond with his barber friend and later with Thao

• Trump's way of governing sets a new trend in politics whose positive effects are questionable
• the racist tendencies of the American president are creating a kind of unhealthy acceptance of exclusionary behaviour
• his rather offensive and racist statements lead to the media using equally politically incorrect language
• with his sometimes overbearing form of government is dividing the country into two camps, the pro-Trump and the anti-Trump camps

• for Walt, the sometimes transgressive, racially tinged language is a means to gain a voice. Even if it does not earn him positive respect, he can assert himself in certain situations
• although his friend, a hairdresser, has a migrant background himself, the two still seem to have common ground despite the occasional banter
• unlike his hairdresser friend, Thao understandably finds Walt's questionable designation offensive and resists being called a "toad"

• although Trump and Walt both have racist tendencies, they differ in how they frame their contempt for foreigners. While Trump makes his diatribes publicly as the head of government, Walt's statements are more subtle
• Especially concerning the scope of their statements, Trump's and Walt's starting points differ from each other. This justifies by no means Walt's sometimes very offensive sayings. But he acts rather more in private than President Trump when it comes to his latent racism