AP® English Language and Composition STUDENT CREATED 2024-25 6th period
Question 2
Suggested time — 55 minutes (15 to read sources)
(This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)
Donald J. Trump was the 45th President of the United States, whose term lasted from January of
2017 to January of 2021. In 2020, he narrowly lost his re-election race to President Joe Biden
and VP Kamala Harris who were about to be sworn in to office at the time of this speech. The
following is an excerpt from President Trump’s farewell address that was delivered in January of
2021 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Carefully read the passage. Then, construct a
clearly written essay in which you analyze Trump's rhetorical choices that he uses to bolster his
presidency, and evaluate the validity of his remarks using appropriate evidence.
In your response you should do the following:
• Respond to the prompt with a thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices.
• Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning.
• Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the rhetorical situation.
• Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.
everything is sort of left alone and be
…We also got tax cuts, the largest tax cut careful, very complex. Be careful. But
and reform in the history of our country by you’re gonna see some incredible things
far. I hope they don’t raise your taxes. But if happening. And remember us when you see
they do, I told you so! If you look at the these things happening, if you – remember
regulations which I consider the regulation us because I’m looking at – I’m looking at
cuts to be maybe even more important. elements of our economy that are set to be a
That’s why we have such good and have had rocket ship up. It’s a rocket ship up. We have
such good job numbers. The job numbers the greatest country in the world. We have
have been absolutely incredible. What we the greatest economy in the world and as
started had we not been hit by the pandemic, bad as the pandemic was, we were hit so
we would have had numbers that would hard just like the entire world was hit so
never have been seen. Already our numbers hard, places that don’t they got away with it
are the best ever. If you look at what didn’t get away with it, they’re suffering
happened until February, a year ago, our right now. We did something that is really
numbers were at a level that nobody had considered a medical miracle. They’re
ever seen before. And even now we really calling it a miracle. And that was the
built it twice. We got hit, nobody blames us vaccine. We got the vaccine developed in
for that, the whole world got it and then we nine months instead of nine years, or five
built it again. And now the stock market is years, or 10 years. A long time. It was
actually substantially higher than it was at supposed to take a long time, many, many
its higher point prior to the pandemic. So it’s years to develop a vaccine. We have two
really – you could say, we built it twice. And out. We have another one coming almost
you’re gonna see, you’re gonna see immediately, and it really is a great
incredible numbers start coming in. If
AP® English Language and Composition STUDENT CREATED 2024-25 6th period
achievement. So, you should start to see before. Despite the worst plague to hit since
really good numbers over the next few I guess you’d say 1917, over 100 years ago.
months. I think you’re going to see those And despite that, despite that, the things that
numbers really skyrocket downward. And I we’ve done have been just incredible. And I
can always say this. We’ve worked hard. couldn’t have done it without you. So, just a
We’ve left it all, as the athletes would say, goodbye. We love you. We will be back in
we’ve left it all in the field. We don’t have to some form.
– we don’t have to come and say we’ll never
say in a month when we’re sitting in Florida,
we’re not going to be looking at each other
and say you know if we only worked a little
bit harder, you can’t work harder. And we
had a lot of obstacles and we went through
the obstacles. And we just got 75 million
votes and that’s a record in the history of –
in the history of sitting presidents. That’s an
all-time record by a lot. By many millions.
In the history of sitting presidents, it’s been
really just an honour. One of the things
we’re very, very proud of is the selection of
almost 300 federal judges and three great
Supreme Court justices. That’s a very big
number that’s a record-setting number and
so we’ve done a lot and there’s still things to
do. The first thing we have to do is pay our
respects and our love to the incredible
people and families who suffered so gravely
from the China virus. It’s a horrible thing
that was put onto the world. We all know
where it came from, but it’s a horrible,
horrible thing. So be very careful. Be very,
very careful, but we want to pay great love,
great love to all of the people that have
suffered, including families who have
suffered so gravely. So with that, I just want
to say, you are amazing people. This is a
great, great country. It is my greatest honour
and privilege to have been your president. I
will always fight for you. I will be watching,
I will be listening. And I will tell you that
the future of this country has never been
better. I wish the new administration great
luck and great success. I think they’ll have
great success. They have the foundation to
do something really spectacular. And again,
we put it in a position like it’s never been
