Trumpian Populism: Legitimizing Chaos and Right-wing Nationalism as a Political Strategy

Abstract

Since 2015, Donald Trump has impacted American politics and the international system with his incendiary rhetoric. During his campaign and administration, Trump broke with convention in his communication style. Trump rose to power by championing white, conservative Christians, using a highly nationalistic narrative, maintaining a populist ideology, and drawing support from least privileged sectors in rural areas. The 45^th president was able to mobilize the impoverished white vote, but also different sectors of the most affluent classes by implementing favorable fiscal policies benefiting the richest sector of the population. In this article, we explore the creation of Trumpian populism as a concept originated by this political leader and his influence on the American electorate. We use storytelling to examine how Trump has successfully polarized the United States’ political arena, and undoubtedly, cast a shadow on the legitimacy of the electoral system.