Trump has been called a populist since his initial campaign in 2016, with his ideas being mostly the same over the years: dismantle the Department of Education, impose tariffs on Mexico and China, and get rid of immigrants and their chances of birthright citizenship. Comparing that to his current run as president now, it looks familiar: tariffs have been imposed, an order has been signed to dismantle multiple departments, and immigrants are being kidnapped and deported at rapid rates. He has succeeded in painting Democrats, minorities, and some of his own constituents as public enemies in true populist fashion. Trump has even managed to relate to the working class and minority groups as a controversial billionaire by letting them feel like the ‘chosen ones.’ Jan-Werner Müller, a political science scholar, describes in his book “What is Populism?” the tactic that populists use where they create an illusion of ‘the people,’ claiming that they are the real citizens or patriots and everyone else is a threat to that. However, Trump’s current presidency has begun to show signs that resemble more than just populist strategies.

Míriam Juan-Torres González is the head of research at UC Berkeley’s Democracy and Belonging Forum, where they have been researching a new concept called “authoritarian populism.” It is described as viewing the world through two lenses (or binoculars); in one lens, there is the threat of a minority group and in another lens is the threat of the elite. As a result, it creates a sense of fear that makes people feel as if authoritarian acts are justified if it means they will be protected. Authoritarianism is dangerous on its own, but polarization adds another layer. In relation to Müller’s work, the act of creating an in-group is necessary for populists because conflict allows them to thrive. The in-group needs to feel terrified and desperate for the guidance of a true leader, and that is how the authoritarian populist can rise to power.

President Trump managed to do this in a way that seems almost effortless. Using the binoculars analogy, he has painted immigrants and transgender people as the minority group in one lens and the ‘woke left’ in the other. However, his in-group does not contain Elon Musk or Vivek Ramaswamy, but instead the average, white American Christian. This individual could potentially be an Evangelical, on the poverty line or upper middle class, and a blue collar or lower white collar worker. This group is extremely large and relatively diverse in life experience, what fears could they possibly share? It is simple, Trump has made them afraid of illegal immigrants taking advantage of their tax money, transgender people corrupting their children, and the ‘woke’ left ruining their traditionalist Christian lifestyle with DEI. 

Trump’s criminal record is not unknown to American voters, yet that did not discourage his voter base. This is a result of Trump’s efforts to instill fear of the political opponent and the desire to remain a part of the in-group, or a ‘true American.’ He achieved this by constantly accusing various institutions like the Republican National Convention of being ‘rigged’ and unfair. Even after it was confirmed that the 2020 election was not tampered with, conspiracy theories had become a large part of Trump’s campaign. For the populist, this is absolutely necessary as it perpetuates the same ‘the people vs. the elites’ theme. Müller even claims that conspiracy theories are not just populist rhetoric, but instead an integral part of populism itself. Combining this with the new concept of authoritarian populism, his supporters have large amounts of blind faith in him that allow them to justify his unethical deportation program, even if they are affected.

On the other hand, there have been certain things that Trump voters can no longer justify. On his first day of office, Trump immediately began to sign almost 100 executive orders that further his all-American agenda. One of these orders allowed the formation of DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency formally led by Amy Gleason, but Elon Musk has informally taken her position. DOGE has been responsible for the downsizing of multiple departments, leading to thousands of federal employees being laid off. Musk also took control of the Department of Treasury and allowed 7 college-aged ‘techies’ to have access to millions of Americans’ personal information. This was done in what could only be described as an attempted coup, and has led to Trump’s integrity being questioned. His supporters echo the same thoughts: “I voted for Trump, not Musk,” or “I voted for lower grocery prices, not this!” But there is no one who is willing to stand up to Trump from his party. Instead, they see it as a chance for career advancement.

Trump’s status as an authoritarian populist figure has allowed him to expel the most loyal members of the party if they do not agree with his ideas, and there is value in siding with him. Georgia Rep. Majorie Taylor Green has now become the top earner in congressional fundraising, and Pete Hegseth moving from Fox News anchor to a spot on Trump’s cabinet. Now that Trump has filled his close circle within the government with loyalists, his true agenda has become more clear. Just like any authoritarian leader, the plan was to always benefit his own economic growth and his vision for the country and, like a true populist, he will claim that he is representing the people’s best interest. The rapid changes that he has made to the U.S. government within the first 3 months of his presidency make the future seem dim, but there is hope to shift the balance in the 2026 midterms — if America’s democracy can hold on for that long.