ILLOCUTIONARY ACTS IN THE 2020 VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE BETWEEN KAMALA HARRIS AND MIKE PENCE

Illocutionary acts express the speaker’s intention through language that carries meaning beyond its literal words, showing how language functions as an instrument of action in communication. This study focuses on identifying the types and functions of illocutionary acts used by Kamala Harris and Mike Pence in the 2020 U.S. Vice Presidential Debate. Data were obtained from the PBS NewsHour YouTube channel and analyzed using a descriptive qualitative method. Searle’s (1976) theory was applied to classify the types of illocutionary acts, while Yule’s (1996) framework was employed to analyze their communicative functions. The analysis revealed four types of illocutionary acts, such as assertive, directive, commissive, and expressive, with a total of 207 utterances. Assertive acts appeared most frequently, with 130 occurrences (63%), showing that both candidates often expressed opinions, provided arguments, and persuaded the audience. Declarative acts were absent since the debate context lacked institutional authority to alter social reality. Additionally, fifteen communicative functions were identified, with reporting as the most dominant, with 45 occurrences (35%), indicating the speaker’s strategic use of language to defend their views and enhance credibility. Overall, the findings highlight that illocutionary act and their functions play a crucial role in political communication by revealing how language is used to influence, argue, and construct self-image within a formal debate setting.