Analysis of transitivity in Joe Biden’s 2023 speech on U.S. support for Israel and Ukraine

Abstract

The language used by a head of state is not merely a means of communication but also an instrument for conveying political stance and policy. Therefore, Joe Biden's speech regarding U.S. support for Israel and Ukraine becomes a crucial point in global geopolitical dynamics. This study analyzes the transitivity processes in Joe Biden's speech, Remarks on the U.S. Response in Support of Israel and Ukraine (2023), to uncover the underlying thoughts and objectives using Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) framework. This research employs a qualitative method, with text analysis of Joe Biden’s statements containing transitivity processes as the primary data source. The researcher found that Biden predominantly utilized material, mental, and relational processes to emphasize the United States’ active involvement in military, diplomatic, and humanitarian efforts. The dominance of material, mental, and relational processes indicated Biden’s active role in implementing policies, deploying military aid, expressing convictions and empathy, and constructing ideological values—thus reinforcing the United States’ image as a decisive, morally grounded, and globally engaged actor.