For a man who portrays himself as the tribune of the people jousting with the evil elites, Donald Trump has certainly adopted a lot of unpopular policies. His mass deportations are loathed by Hispanic swing voters; his tariffs are driving up prices for everyone; and his war is increasingly disliked even by MAGA voters. What should we make of this? Is Trump actually an elitist or a man of principle, fighting for what he thinks is right regardless of the odds against him?
Two things are relevant here. First, Trump has never been a populist on economic issues; his mercantilist deviations from Reaganite orthodoxy are purely his own invention and have minimal support from either the party establishment or the base. Second, for Trump, populism only applies to the “real Americans” in the base. As long as he retains their support, as far as he is concerned, he still speaks for the American people, polls and popular majorities be damned.