Donald Trump Embraces ‘Love’

Politicians often lean toward hyperbole, but the frequent use of the word “love” in the former president’s fund-raising notes is an increasingly common tactic for him.

The emails have been pleading and plaintive.

“Listen, you know I love you,” a Sept. 6 missive read, adding, “I will always love you.”

Another, on Aug. 30, was even more heartfelt.

“I truly mean it when I say that I will always love and appreciate you.”

As recently as last week, the emotions continued to flow.

“I really do love you,” the email gushed. “I KNOW I JUST WON THE ELECTION!”

The writer in question? Donald J. Trump, who has peppered his pleas for donations with declarations of ardor for his followers in fund-raising pitches of late.

And while Mr. Trump’s tendency toward loving remarks to his supporters dates back years, the pace of such statements has intensified as the campaign rolls toward its conclusion and as he rails against Kamala Harris, whose campaign has made a point of emphasizing “joy” and “good vibes.”

In the last nine days, Mr. Trump’s email blasts have told prospective donors he “loves” them at least 10 times, sometimes promising that his passion had nothing to do with his requests for money.

“Even if you can’t afford to donate right now,” he said on Monday, “I want you to know that I will always love you.”

Politicians of all parties often testify to their love of America, as well as to the crowds that flock to their rallies, much like touring performers who praise the town they’re visiting. (Ms. Harris, for example, in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, said, “I love our country with all my heart.”) And online appeals for money can be hyperbolic and often come with warnings of financial emergencies and dire results if supporters don’t cough up a donation.

But Mr. Trump’s remarks seem particularly striking when juxtaposed with his apocalyptic rhetoric and incendiary comments, including his recent repetition of false claims against Haitian immigrants in Ohio.

“Donald Trump is not widely seen as the joyful, optimistic, hopeful candidate,” said Terry Szuplat, a veteran speechwriter who has worked for both Republicans and Democrats, including President Barack Obama. “He’s a candidate who more than anyone else channels the grievances of tens of millions of Americans who feel that their country has screwed them over. So it is somewhat unusual for him to be leaning into this so strongly.”

Mr. Trump’s sudden affection for affection could be strategic, Mr. Szuplat added, suggesting it may be “a deliberate effort to try to tap into what they see as the winning message of Kamala Harris.”

Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Mr. Trump’s campaign, scoffed at any suggestion that their strategies were influenced by Ms. Harris, noting that the Republican nominee had expressed his love “BEFORE Kamala staged a coup to replace Biden.”

One example from February, for instance, points to Mr. Trump’s sense of his unique feelings. “Hi,” the subject line read, “has a President ever told you they loved you?”

Mr. Szuplat, the author of “Say It Well,” a new book about public speaking, and others point out that openly expressing emotion and vulnerability can often be a successful tool for politicians. That includes some of the right-wing leaders who have been compared to Mr. Trump, such as Jair Bolsonaro, who has posted photos of himself in hospital beds, recovering from ailments.

“It makes people feel protective of them,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history at New York University and the author of “Strongmen,” about authoritarian leaders.

Mr. Trump has been subject to two assassination attempts in recent months, one of which resulted in a bloodied ear, for which he wore a bandage for his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in July. During that speech, he mentioned “love” more than two dozen times, though one of those references was about the fictional character of Hannibal Lecter, a cannibal. (“He’d love to have you for dinner,” Mr. Trump said.)

Right-wing and conservative politicians, Ms. Ben-Ghiat said, “have used emotion much more effectively than liberals, who have been a little bit tethered to reason.”

That bond can extend to rituals and symbols, she added, including things like MAGA hats and flags, and references to “MAGA love” in Mr. Trump’s emails, something that keeps “people feeling personally invested.”

“Trump is brilliant at this,” Ms. Ben-Ghiat said. “He uses, overtly, emotion. He creates a community.”

Not everyone is as successful: In 2020, for instance, Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, a Democrat, ran a campaign that leaned into love. He was rejected.

Mr. Trump’s comments can appear both genuine — “I love Elon Musk!,” he wrote on Aug. 10, of the owner of X who has endorsed him — and more cutting. “I love ABC News,” the former president said on Sept. 11, after the Sept. 10 debate on that network, whose moderators he accused of teaming up against him.

The “love” talk can also be weaponized, allowing the Trump campaign to suggest that Democrats, conversely, are the party of hate. Take an Aug. 18 email blast from JD Vance, Mr. Trump’s running mate, with the subject line “President Trump & I love you, Friend.” The message that followed: “Crooked Kamala is endorsed by the sick political class that HATES OUR COUNTRY,” the email said, promising to “DEMOLISH the Deep State,” “EXPOSE the Dangerous Liberal Agenda,” and naturally, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”

Lane Greene, who writes a column about language at The Economist, said that Mr. Trump’s stated affection for his followers fits into the larger framework of the former president’s brand of populism.

“The populist appeal is ‘I understand you,’ ‘I represent you,’ and ‘they want to screw you,’” he said.

Mr. Trump, 78, has shown other types of affection, too, hugging his grandson at the Republican National Convention, for instance, and other children at campaign events. He’s also embraced the American flag.

“I love you, baby,” Mr. Trump said to a flag at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2020.

And while Mr. Trump’s tenderness has ticked up as the race winds down, linguists said his “love” talk might just be part of a broader use of the word itself, away from its classic meaning of a deep, romantic or familial connection and toward something more common.

“It’s become a very general term for value, to feel affection, to feel positive toward,” said Deborah Tannen, a professor of linguistics at Georgetown University, and author of “The Argument Culture,” about public discourse. “I don’t think it’s just politicians, and I don’t think it’s just Trump.”

Whatever the cause, Mr. Trump seems to enjoy telling his supporters how much they mean to him, perhaps — in a maneuver as old as love itself — in hopes of having them say the same thing back to him. (And vote that way, too.)

“I love you, you love me,” Mr. Trump wrote in a pitch in late June. “We’re one happy MAGA family!”