The word "rhetoric"

This word comes up in news in connection with Trump. The phrase "Trump rhetoric" is being used to describe the questionable things he says about people, women, policy, and everything else. Recently, my neighbor brought the subject up to me in a conversation about the English language. This neighbor thinks that rhetoric has a negative connotation; in the same way, the word propaganda has become a misunderstood and/or misused word that carries a negative connotation. I.e. anything you don't like is propaganda. I defended the word rhetoric because  it has a general application to any type of speech or argument and is not negative.