Sophia Maddalone

Abstract:

In recent years, scholars have studied the correlation between false information and political violence (Calvillo, D. P., Rutchick, A. M., & Garcia, R. J. B. 2021). This study follows the beliefs in false headlines regarding the 2020 election and how it lead to the deadly January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capital. However, these studies do not analyze specific rhetoric. My research follows a rhetorical analysis of rhetoric used by the most popular cable news show host, Tucker Carlson on Tucker Carlson Tonight broadcast on Fox News which contributed to misinformation surrounding the 2020 election. Fox News is one of the most heavily watched news sources in America and is trusted by many right-wing conservatives. When people are watching news sources like Fox and are fully trusting it can lead to political violence.