While it’s nice to think democracy always places the best candidate in charge, figures like Donald Trump shatter that naive assumption.
Trump’s rise to power isn’t the most straightforward. While his predecessor, Joe Biden, served 44 years in government, as a Senator and as Vice-President, before rising to the top, Trump hadn’t spent a second in public service before being elected President.
While this isn’t an inherently negative characteristic—as experience outside of government can offer an alternative perspective into an otherwise overly bureaucratic institution—Trump weaponizes this experience for his own gain.
His claim to fame truly took off during the Republican primary debate in 2016. Here, he repeatedly tried to distance himself from the long-term politicians he shared the stage with by distinguishing himself as the only candidate who doesn’t need special interest donors, and repeating his pledge to run America like his businesses.
Ironically, if Trump had invested his inheritance into the S&P 500, instead of pursuing his various business interests, he’d be $400 million richer. Despite this showcasing his financial illiteracy, his inaccurate public appearance enabled him to utilize this ultra-successful businessman persona to come across more appealing, while characterizing his opponents as the corrupt political archetype.
While his plan seemed deliberate and obvious to those who were paying attention, Trump was ultimately successful as he won his first bid for presidency.
This example perfectly illustrates a key issue with democracy: The fact that most people vote for the most charismatic candidate rather than the best person for the job. Trump embodies the idea of populist politics, which allows him to be elected with undefined values that eventually shine through with his time in office.
We saw Trump work this manipulative magic in the 2024 election. While still using populism to his benefit, he pointed to both domestic and international issues such as unaffordability and war. He acted as if his time in office would bring an era of economic prosperity to the US and peace to conflict-riddled regions. However, he was quick to abandon both policies once elected.
Trump vowed to place massive tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China—the US’s largest trading partners, which economists are in widespread opposition of. He also recently announced a plan aiming to forcibly relocate Palestinians from the Gaza strip in order for the region to be developed, causing massive backlash and accusations of ethnic cleansing.
Having gotten by on attacking his opponents and offering vague ideas for what he’d do as President, Trump’s now able to accomplish whatever he pleases with little pushback.
Unfortunately, the American electorate is to blame—they chose their leader. However, I don’t believe this choice stems from incompetency, but a lack of knowledge.
It’s no surprise many people aren’t civically aware, with only one in three Americans able to a citizenship test. However, increasing widespread political awareness could address this.
Populism thrives on a lack of information and knowledge, by appealing to emotions and feelings rather than logic. Therefore, the way to tackle populism isn’t to devolve into using populist means yourself, but to encourage engagement around politics, and rely on the premise of democracy.
Jonathan is a second-year Political Studies student and one of The Journal’s Assistant News Editors.
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