The topics 2024 GOP president candidates focus on in campaign speeches

Trump centers campaign on his prosecution, vilifying legal system

But broad themes of Trump’s message are unchanged. He’s attacking “radical” opponents and painting a dark picture of a country under President Biden, criticizing Democrats on crime, undocumented immigration and inflation.

It’s no surprise that candidates talk about the place they’re from. But DeSantis stands out. The second-term governor has been highlighting his policy record in Florida, especially his self-described “war on woke” against everything he deems liberal excess.

What ‘Make America Florida’ would look like

Schools and children’s exposure to LGBTQ issues are a key battlefront — reflected in DeSantis’s frequent use of “parents” and “kids.” More than any other candidate, his stump speech taps a growing conservative backlash against discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms and popular culture. Several GOP candidates use the word “woke” in their kickoff speeches, including Trump, who like DeSantis promotes “parents’ rights” and denounces “critical race theory,” which focuses on racial bias in institutions.

But DeSantis leans more heavily into the new lexicon of the culture wars. He’s the only contender whose kickoff speech decried “DEI” — diversity, equity and inclusion programs — and “ESG,” a form of socially and environmentally-conscious investing.

DeSantis is also betting his response to the covid-19 pandemic can differentiate him from Trump and talks about that issue more than his rivals. He says he would have fired Anthony S. Fauci, a former White House pandemic adviser to Trump.

Pence, who served as Trump’s vice president, is trying to confront his former running mate’s attacks while also touting the achievements of the “Trump-Pence administration.” His kickoff speech showcases that delicate balance. He’s arguing to GOP voters that he was right to defy Trump’s pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Pence unleashes sharp attacks on Trump as he launches White House bid

“Life” is also a top word that reflects his lifelong advocacy against abortion. He’s gone further than many GOP rivals on the issue, saying he “will not relent until we restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law in every state in the land.” And he often invokes God.

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s top words in her kickoff speech include several positive terms such as love and together that underscore her more aspirational message to a party that has gravitated in recent years toward dark and angry. Other candidates such as Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are taking a similar tone.

“I know America is better than all the division and distractions that we have today,” Haley said.

She served as United Nations ambassador in the Trump administration but only mentioned the former president in passing while noting that he nominated her for the job.

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, is leaning into his biography and Christian faith. He’s highlighting his family’s “cotton to Congress” story and arguing that his background makes him an especially fearsome opponent to Democrats.

“The truth of my life disrupts their lies,” Scott said in his first campaign speech, when he recounted his mom’s lessons and long work days as a nurse’s aide. Scott was the only candidate to have a family member, his mom, in his top-10 words.

Scott made 13 mentions of “God,” while Pence used “God” 10 times in his campaign launch. DeSantis, who is Catholic, used “God” twice, and Trump used “God” just once. Yet Trump has been hugely successful in the past with the White evangelical voters influential in GOP primaries, and DeSantis has excited Christian conservatives with his stance on hot-button social issues.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie immediately established himself as the most aggressive Trump critic in the GOP field, framing his presidential pitch around his concerns with both Trump and Democratic leadership. He’s vocally rejected Trump’s false claims he won the presidential election in 2020.

“At every pivotal moment in history there was a choice between small and big,” Christie said, and America has succeeded because “we always picked big.”

Asa Hutchinson was a staunchly conservative governor of Arkansas, backing policies such as a near-total abortion ban. But he’s not campaigning on red meat for the GOP base — a decision exemplified by his attention to less partisan issues such as the need for computer science education.

His frequent references to “rule of law” and “democracy” — words rarely used by other candidates — are fitting for a former federal prosecutor who has been willing to criticize Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and, more recently, the behavior alleged in Trump’s federal indictment.

Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and early critic of “wokeness,” devoted much of his speech to three “religions” that he says revolve around race, gender identity and climate change. The long-shot candidate is centering his campaign on critiques of “identity politics” that have become a powerful issue for the GOP base.

A staunch defender of Trump even as he runs against him, Ramaswamy echoes Trump’s rage at the Washington “swamp.” An Indian American, he’s also one of three candidates who used the word “racist” in their launch speech, all while criticizing the political left’s views of race. The others are Haley, who is Indian American, and Scott, who is Black.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum made a surprising presidential debut in June while focusing heavily on the economy, a contrast to other candidates equally focused on the culture wars. The former software executive’s most-used words reflect that.

Plenty of GOP candidates praise former president Ronald Reagan. But Miami Mayor Francis Suarez sticks out for how often he invoked Reagan in his first speech as a presidential candidate. He’s pitching himself as a more traditional conservative but also a younger Hispanic candidate who can broaden the party’s appeal.

Commonly used words such as “an” or “the” were not included in our analysis. The graphics include any word mentioned three or more times by a candidate. We did not include conservative radio host Larry Elder or former U.S. representative Will Hurd because neither gave kickoff speeches when announcing their candidacies.

Trump centers campaign on his prosecution, vilifying legal system

But broad themes of Trump’s message are unchanged. He’s attacking “radical” opponents and painting a dark picture of a country under President Biden, criticizing Democrats on crime, undocumented immigration and inflation.

It’s no surprise that candidates talk about the place they’re from. But DeSantis stands out. The second-term governor has been highlighting his policy record in Florida, especially his self-described “war on woke” against everything he deems liberal excess.

What ‘Make America Florida’ would look like

Schools and children’s exposure to LGBTQ issues are a key battlefront — reflected in DeSantis’s frequent use of “parents” and “kids.” More than any other candidate, his stump speech taps a growing conservative backlash against discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms and popular culture. Several GOP candidates use the word “woke” in their kickoff speeches, including Trump, who like DeSantis promotes “parents’ rights” and denounces “critical race theory,” which focuses on racial bias in institutions.

But DeSantis leans more heavily into the new lexicon of the culture wars. He’s the only contender whose kickoff speech decried “DEI” — diversity, equity and inclusion programs — and “ESG,” a form of socially and environmentally-conscious investing.

DeSantis is also betting his response to the covid-19 pandemic can differentiate him from Trump and talks about that issue more than his rivals. He says he would have fired Anthony S. Fauci, a former White House pandemic adviser to Trump.

Pence, who served as Trump’s vice president, is trying to confront his former running mate’s attacks while also touting the achievements of the “Trump-Pence administration.” His kickoff speech showcases that delicate balance. He’s arguing to GOP voters that he was right to defy Trump’s pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Pence unleashes sharp attacks on Trump as he launches White House bid

“Life” is also a top word that reflects his lifelong advocacy against abortion. He’s gone further than many GOP rivals on the issue, saying he “will not relent until we restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law in every state in the land.” And he often invokes God.

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s top words in her kickoff speech include several positive terms such as love and together that underscore her more aspirational message to a party that has gravitated in recent years toward dark and angry. Other candidates such as Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are taking a similar tone.

“I know America is better than all the division and distractions that we have today,” Haley said.

She served as United Nations ambassador in the Trump administration but only mentioned the former president in passing while noting that he nominated her for the job.

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, is leaning into his biography and Christian faith. He’s highlighting his family’s “cotton to Congress” story and arguing that his background makes him an especially fearsome opponent to Democrats.

“The truth of my life disrupts their lies,” Scott said in his first campaign speech, when he recounted his mom’s lessons and long work days as a nurse’s aide. Scott was the only candidate to have a family member, his mom, in his top-10 words.

Scott made 13 mentions of “God,” while Pence used “God” 10 times in his campaign launch. DeSantis, who is Catholic, used “God” twice, and Trump used “God” just once. Yet Trump has been hugely successful in the past with the White evangelical voters influential in GOP primaries, and DeSantis has excited Christian conservatives with his stance on hot-button social issues.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie immediately established himself as the most aggressive Trump critic in the GOP field, framing his presidential pitch around his concerns with both Trump and Democratic leadership. He’s vocally rejected Trump’s false claims he won the presidential election in 2020.

“At every pivotal moment in history there was a choice between small and big,” Christie said, and America has succeeded because “we always picked big.”

Asa Hutchinson was a staunchly conservative governor of Arkansas, backing policies such as a near-total abortion ban. But he’s not campaigning on red meat for the GOP base — a decision exemplified by his attention to less partisan issues such as the need for computer science education.

His frequent references to “rule of law” and “democracy” — words rarely used by other candidates — are fitting for a former federal prosecutor who has been willing to criticize Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and, more recently, the behavior alleged in Trump’s federal indictment.

Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and early critic of “wokeness,” devoted much of his speech to three “religions” that he says revolve around race, gender identity and climate change. The long-shot candidate is centering his campaign on critiques of “identity politics” that have become a powerful issue for the GOP base.

A staunch defender of Trump even as he runs against him, Ramaswamy echoes Trump’s rage at the Washington “swamp.” An Indian American, he’s also one of three candidates who used the word “racist” in their launch speech, all while criticizing the political left’s views of race. The others are Haley, who is Indian American, and Scott, who is Black.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum made a surprising presidential debut in June while focusing heavily on the economy, a contrast to other candidates equally focused on the culture wars. The former software executive’s most-used words reflect that.

Plenty of GOP candidates praise former president Ronald Reagan. But Miami Mayor Francis Suarez sticks out for how often he invoked Reagan in his first speech as a presidential candidate. He’s pitching himself as a more traditional conservative but also a younger Hispanic candidate who can broaden the party’s appeal.

Commonly used words such as “an” or “the” were not included in our analysis. The graphics include any word mentioned three or more times by a candidate. We did not include conservative radio host Larry Elder or former U.S. representative Will Hurd because neither gave kickoff speeches when announcing their candidacies.

Trump centers campaign on his prosecution, vilifying legal system

But broad themes of Trump’s message are unchanged. He’s attacking “radical” opponents and painting a dark picture of a country under President Biden, criticizing Democrats on crime, undocumented immigration and inflation.

It’s no surprise that candidates talk about the place they’re from. But DeSantis stands out. The second-term governor has been highlighting his policy record in Florida, especially his self-described “war on woke” against everything he deems liberal excess.

What ‘Make America Florida’ would look like

Schools and children’s exposure to LGBTQ issues are a key battlefront — reflected in DeSantis’s frequent use of “parents” and “kids.” More than any other candidate, his stump speech taps a growing conservative backlash against discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms and popular culture. Several GOP candidates use the word “woke” in their kickoff speeches, including Trump, who like DeSantis promotes “parents’ rights” and denounces “critical race theory,” which focuses on racial bias in institutions.

But DeSantis leans more heavily into the new lexicon of the culture wars. He’s the only contender whose kickoff speech decried “DEI” — diversity, equity and inclusion programs — and “ESG,” a form of socially and environmentally-conscious investing.

DeSantis is also betting his response to the covid-19 pandemic can differentiate him from Trump and talks about that issue more than his rivals. He says he would have fired Anthony S. Fauci, a former White House pandemic adviser to Trump.

Pence, who served as Trump’s vice president, is trying to confront his former running mate’s attacks while also touting the achievements of the “Trump-Pence administration.” His kickoff speech showcases that delicate balance. He’s arguing to GOP voters that he was right to defy Trump’s pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Pence unleashes sharp attacks on Trump as he launches White House bid

“Life” is also a top word that reflects his lifelong advocacy against abortion. He’s gone further than many GOP rivals on the issue, saying he “will not relent until we restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law in every state in the land.” And he often invokes God.

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s top words in her kickoff speech include several positive terms such as love and together that underscore her more aspirational message to a party that has gravitated in recent years toward dark and angry. Other candidates such as Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are taking a similar tone.

“I know America is better than all the division and distractions that we have today,” Haley said.

She served as United Nations ambassador in the Trump administration but only mentioned the former president in passing while noting that he nominated her for the job.

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, is leaning into his biography and Christian faith. He’s highlighting his family’s “cotton to Congress” story and arguing that his background makes him an especially fearsome opponent to Democrats.

“The truth of my life disrupts their lies,” Scott said in his first campaign speech, when he recounted his mom’s lessons and long work days as a nurse’s aide. Scott was the only candidate to have a family member, his mom, in his top-10 words.

Scott made 13 mentions of “God,” while Pence used “God” 10 times in his campaign launch. DeSantis, who is Catholic, used “God” twice, and Trump used “God” just once. Yet Trump has been hugely successful in the past with the White evangelical voters influential in GOP primaries, and DeSantis has excited Christian conservatives with his stance on hot-button social issues.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie immediately established himself as the most aggressive Trump critic in the GOP field, framing his presidential pitch around his concerns with both Trump and Democratic leadership. He’s vocally rejected Trump’s false claims he won the presidential election in 2020.

“At every pivotal moment in history there was a choice between small and big,” Christie said, and America has succeeded because “we always picked big.”

Asa Hutchinson was a staunchly conservative governor of Arkansas, backing policies such as a near-total abortion ban. But he’s not campaigning on red meat for the GOP base — a decision exemplified by his attention to less partisan issues such as the need for computer science education.

His frequent references to “rule of law” and “democracy” — words rarely used by other candidates — are fitting for a former federal prosecutor who has been willing to criticize Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and, more recently, the behavior alleged in Trump’s federal indictment.

Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and early critic of “wokeness,” devoted much of his speech to three “religions” that he says revolve around race, gender identity and climate change. The long-shot candidate is centering his campaign on critiques of “identity politics” that have become a powerful issue for the GOP base.

A staunch defender of Trump even as he runs against him, Ramaswamy echoes Trump’s rage at the Washington “swamp.” An Indian American, he’s also one of three candidates who used the word “racist” in their launch speech, all while criticizing the political left’s views of race. The others are Haley, who is Indian American, and Scott, who is Black.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum made a surprising presidential debut in June while focusing heavily on the economy, a contrast to other candidates equally focused on the culture wars. The former software executive’s most-used words reflect that.

Plenty of GOP candidates praise former president Ronald Reagan. But Miami Mayor Francis Suarez sticks out for how often he invoked Reagan in his first speech as a presidential candidate. He’s pitching himself as a more traditional conservative but also a younger Hispanic candidate who can broaden the party’s appeal.

Commonly used words such as “an” or “the” were not included in our analysis. The graphics include any word mentioned three or more times by a candidate. We did not include conservative radio host Larry Elder or former U.S. representative Will Hurd because neither gave kickoff speeches when announcing their candidacies.

Trump centers campaign on his prosecution, vilifying legal system

But broad themes of Trump’s message are unchanged. He’s attacking “radical” opponents and painting a dark picture of a country under President Biden, criticizing Democrats on crime, undocumented immigration and inflation.

It’s no surprise that candidates talk about the place they’re from. But DeSantis stands out. The second-term governor has been highlighting his policy record in Florida, especially his self-described “war on woke” against everything he deems liberal excess.

What ‘Make America Florida’ would look like

Schools and children’s exposure to LGBTQ issues are a key battlefront — reflected in DeSantis’s frequent use of “parents” and “kids.” More than any other candidate, his stump speech taps a growing conservative backlash against discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms and popular culture. Several GOP candidates use the word “woke” in their kickoff speeches, including Trump, who like DeSantis promotes “parents’ rights” and denounces “critical race theory,” which focuses on racial bias in institutions.

But DeSantis leans more heavily into the new lexicon of the culture wars. He’s the only contender whose kickoff speech decried “DEI” — diversity, equity and inclusion programs — and “ESG,” a form of socially and environmentally-conscious investing.

DeSantis is also betting his response to the covid-19 pandemic can differentiate him from Trump and talks about that issue more than his rivals. He says he would have fired Anthony S. Fauci, a former White House pandemic adviser to Trump.

Pence, who served as Trump’s vice president, is trying to confront his former running mate’s attacks while also touting the achievements of the “Trump-Pence administration.” His kickoff speech showcases that delicate balance. He’s arguing to GOP voters that he was right to defy Trump’s pressure to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Pence unleashes sharp attacks on Trump as he launches White House bid

“Life” is also a top word that reflects his lifelong advocacy against abortion. He’s gone further than many GOP rivals on the issue, saying he “will not relent until we restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law in every state in the land.” And he often invokes God.

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley’s top words in her kickoff speech include several positive terms such as love and together that underscore her more aspirational message to a party that has gravitated in recent years toward dark and angry. Other candidates such as Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are taking a similar tone.

“I know America is better than all the division and distractions that we have today,” Haley said.

She served as United Nations ambassador in the Trump administration but only mentioned the former president in passing while noting that he nominated her for the job.

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, is leaning into his biography and Christian faith. He’s highlighting his family’s “cotton to Congress” story and arguing that his background makes him an especially fearsome opponent to Democrats.

“The truth of my life disrupts their lies,” Scott said in his first campaign speech, when he recounted his mom’s lessons and long work days as a nurse’s aide. Scott was the only candidate to have a family member, his mom, in his top-10 words.

Scott made 13 mentions of “God,” while Pence used “God” 10 times in his campaign launch. DeSantis, who is Catholic, used “God” twice, and Trump used “God” just once. Yet Trump has been hugely successful in the past with the White evangelical voters influential in GOP primaries, and DeSantis has excited Christian conservatives with his stance on hot-button social issues.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie immediately established himself as the most aggressive Trump critic in the GOP field, framing his presidential pitch around his concerns with both Trump and Democratic leadership. He’s vocally rejected Trump’s false claims he won the presidential election in 2020.

“At every pivotal moment in history there was a choice between small and big,” Christie said, and America has succeeded because “we always picked big.”

Asa Hutchinson was a staunchly conservative governor of Arkansas, backing policies such as a near-total abortion ban. But he’s not campaigning on red meat for the GOP base — a decision exemplified by his attention to less partisan issues such as the need for computer science education.

His frequent references to “rule of law” and “democracy” — words rarely used by other candidates — are fitting for a former federal prosecutor who has been willing to criticize Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and, more recently, the behavior alleged in Trump’s federal indictment.

Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and early critic of “wokeness,” devoted much of his speech to three “religions” that he says revolve around race, gender identity and climate change. The long-shot candidate is centering his campaign on critiques of “identity politics” that have become a powerful issue for the GOP base.

A staunch defender of Trump even as he runs against him, Ramaswamy echoes Trump’s rage at the Washington “swamp.” An Indian American, he’s also one of three candidates who used the word “racist” in their launch speech, all while criticizing the political left’s views of race. The others are Haley, who is Indian American, and Scott, who is Black.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum made a surprising presidential debut in June while focusing heavily on the economy, a contrast to other candidates equally focused on the culture wars. The former software executive’s most-used words reflect that.

Plenty of GOP candidates praise former president Ronald Reagan. But Miami Mayor Francis Suarez sticks out for how often he invoked Reagan in his first speech as a presidential candidate. He’s pitching himself as a more traditional conservative but also a younger Hispanic candidate who can broaden the party’s appeal.

Commonly used words such as “an” or “the” were not included in our analysis. The graphics include any word mentioned three or more times by a candidate. We did not include conservative radio host Larry Elder or former U.S. representative Will Hurd because neither gave kickoff speeches when announcing their candidacies.