It’s a good time to be a populist authoritarian—in the Western world, politicians who pledge to govern this way are gaining strength, and Donald Trump is hardly an exception. So, what kinds of populist and authoritarian leanings does he have? Atlantic staff writer Uri Friedman goes through the checklist in this video. Claiming to exclusively embody the will of the people rather than the establishment? Trump does that. Favoring harsh measures to protect the homeland against external threats? He does that, too. However, the United States is one of the oldest democracies in the world. Will the nation’s checks on power be enough to reign in Trump’s tendencies?
