The party of God: a semiolinguistic analysis of tweets from federal deputy candidate Nikolas Ferreira in the 2022 elections

Abstract

This article presents a semiolinguistic analysis of four tweets published by Nikolas Ferreira, a candidate for federal deputy for Minas Gerais, during the 2022 electoral period, focusing on the interdiscourse between politics and religion, aiming to mobilize the Christian imaginary to disqualify the opposing party, PT, and legitimize the PL as “the party of God”. The candidate uses religious beliefs as an argumentative strategy to persuade internet users on the social network X (formerly Twitter), promoting a moral opposition between the parties. Based on the postulates of Semiolinguistic Theory, we identify the subjects of the linguistic act and the modes of organization in the discourse, with an emphasis on the argumentative mode, articulating the construction of a narrative that associates the PL with good and the PT with evil, anchored in Christian values. Thus, the strategic use of religion as a resource for legitimacy and persuasion in political discourse is evident, especially in contexts of strong polarization, such as the 2022 election.