After establishing his credibility, Fallows aims to disprove Trump’s self-claimed intelligence through ellipsis, his bullet pointed ideas and logos. Before listing down his bullet pointed ideas, Fallows claims that he had “known some very smart people… And Donald Trump…” Here, the long pause created by the ellipsis represents the writer’s hesitancy in approving Trump’s intelligence, which contrasts to how the writer had confidently described other people as ‘smart.’ Since the author, who the audience perceive to be a credible professional in evaluating exceptional intelligence, is reluctant to establish a mutual connection between Trump and the characteristic of being smart, the audience will believe that Trump isn’t really intelligent. Eventually, they …show more content…
After proving that Trump isn’t intelligent, Fallows follows up with the argument by utilizing the term “Dunning-Kruger effect,” which appeals to logos. The effect states that “the more limited someone is in reality, the more talented the person imagines himself to be.” Fallows previously revealed the vanity embedded in Trump’s public twitter post with a satirical tone, and so the Dunning-Kruger effect logically proves that Trump has limited intelligence. By associating scientific knowledge in the argument, the author provides firm evidence to the audience that clearly explains why Trump isn’t smart. It also may make the argument to be more persuasive as it appeals to a wider range of audience who seeks for a concrete evidence in the reasons behind Trump’s lacking intelligence. Fallows finally ends the article with a serious tone, claiming that Trump, “despite his claimed omniscience, would not even recognize the term,” emphasizing how ridiculous it is for Trump to even describe himself as a “genius” when he is worse than that. Therefore, Fallows disproves Trump’s self-claimed intelligence with various literary devices backed by the previously established credibility and recognition of Trump’s egoistical