In 2016, Donald Trump unexpectedly won the White House following an anti-elite populist election campaign which emphasised an exceptionalist and nativist view of America’s place in the world. Reviewing the president’s tweets and speeches in the lead up to the 2018 midterm elections, Corina Lacatus finds that Trump’s far-right populist rhetoric now links closely with his administration’s policies, including pursuing a harder, more self-interested line on immigration, US international commitments and trade relationships

Lacatus, Cora

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Long	Read:	Trump’s	electoral	rhetoric	has	becomeself-interested,	nativist	policyIn	2016,	Donald	Trump	unexpectedly	won	the	White	House	following	an	anti-elite	populist	electioncampaign	which	emphasised	an	exceptionalist	and	nativist	view	of	America’s	place	in	the	world.Reviewing	the	president’s	tweets	and	speeches	in	the	lead	up	to	the	2018	midterm	elections,	CorinaLacatus	finds	that	Trump’s	far-right	populist	rhetoric	now	links	closely	with	his	administration’spolicies,	including	pursuing	a	harder,	more	self-interested	line	on	immigration,	US	internationalcommitments	and	trade	relationships.Donald	Trump	has	been	described	as	the	populist	par	excellence.	In	the	months	leading	up	to	the	2016	presidentialelection,	candidate	Trump	ran	a	campaign	infused	with	a	right-wing	populist	view	of	the	world.	In	the	absence	of	awell-developed	policy	programme,	he	made	promises	to	‘drain	the	swamp’	of	American	politics,	to	rid	the	UnitedStates	of	illegal	immigration,	and	to	restore	the	international	respect	that	the	country	had	lost	by	agreeing	to	enterinto	‘bad	deals’	with	long-term	allies.As	is	common	in	election	campaigns,	Trump	focused	his	public	communication	predominantly	on	domestic	issues,taking	positions	on	foreign	affairs	only	in	broad	terms	and	mostly	to	advance	his	message	on	national	policies.	Inthe	first	half	of	his	presidency,	Donald	Trump	has	been	keen	to	convince	his	voter	base	that	he	‘delivered	on	hiscampaign	promises’	to	keep	America	safe,	grow	the	economy	and	increase	employment.	It	is	fair	to	expect	that,	atleast	to	some	extent,	his	public	communication	as	president	would	echo	the	messages	of	his	election	campaign.To	what	extent	has	the	signature	populist	rhetoric	of	2016	presidential	hopeful	Trump	continued	to	shape	PresidentTrump’s	approach	to	policy-making	in	the	years	since	his	victory?To	answer	this	question,	I	study	the	use	of	populist	rhetoric	in	Donald	Trump’s	public	communication	ahead	of	theNovember	2018	midterm	elections,	from	rally	speeches	held	during	the	two	months	prior	and	tweets	published	inthe	official	personal	account	@realDonaldTrump	at	the	same	time.	I	find	that	resurgent	Jacksonian	populism	–	anearly	19th	century	anti-elitist	movement	which	emphasised	presidential	power	–	promoted	by	the	Tea	Party’sposition	shapes	President	Trump’s	approach	to	both	domestic	and	foreign	policy.	Fundamentally	anti-elitist,Trump’s	populism	opposes	migration,	multilateralism,	and	is	deeply	sceptical	of	the	United	States’	capacity	tosupport	a	liberal	global	order	that	he	perceives	as	detrimental	to	the	economic	interest	of	the	American	people.What	is	a	Jacksonian	view	of	the	world?The	contemporary	rise	in	support	for	the	Tea	Party	movement	and	Donald	Trump	is	best	understood	as	a	currentform	of	Jacksonian	revolt	against	misguided	and	corrupt	elites.	Inside	the	Tea	Party,	two	main	voices	dominate	–on	the	one	hand,	the	inward-looking,	neo-isolationist	approach	advanced	by	Senator	Ron	Paul	and	his	supporters(which	would	see	a	complete	withdrawal	of	the	US	from	international	interventions)	and	on	the	other	hand,	thefaction	which	endorsed	2008	Republican	Vice	Presidential	candidate	Sarah	Palin	and	her	stronger	preference	forthe	United	States	to	win	wars	rather	than	withdraw	completely	from	international	conflict.At	its	core,	Jacksonian	populism	is	anti-elitist.	More	often	than	not	the	elites	are	members	of	government	and	thepolitical	establishment,	i.e.	senior	party	members.	The	Tea	Party	has	revived	Jacksonianism	with	a	particularaversion	for	those	perceived	to	belong	to	a	liberal,	well-educated,	and	intellectual	elite.	This	antipathy	extends	alsoto	the	international	sphere	and	the	institutions	that	uphold	liberal	internationalist	values,	such	as	the	promotion	ofliberal	democracy	around	the	world,	any	efforts	to	cooperate	through	multilateral	organisations	as	well	as	enteringand	upholding	international	treaties.	Endorsing	a	Hobbesian	view	of	the	international	system,	they	view	the	world	asa	place	where	states	always	pursue	their	own	selfish	interests	and	have	limited	interest	in	co-operation.	In	thiscontext,	they	endorse	nationalist	and	American	exceptionalist	views	and	harbour	deep	scepticism	about	the	abilityof	the	United	States	to	create	and	uphold	a	liberal	order.USApp – American Politics and Policy Blog: Long Read: Trump’s electoral rhetoric has become self-interested, nativist policy Page 1 of 5		Date originally posted: 2020-07-31Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2020/07/31/long-read-trumps-electoral-rhetoric-has-become-self-interested-nativist-policy/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/“Donald	Trump”	by	Gage	Skidmore	is	licensed	under	CC	BY	SA	2.0At	the	same	time,	Jacksonian	populists	tend	to	prefer	aggressive	militaristic	responses	to	crises	around	the	world,while	advocating	for	trade	protectionism	and	the	dismissal	of	costly	alliances	and	security	guarantees.	In	their	eyes,the	United	States	is	not	meant	to	be	the	police	of	a	liberal	global	order,	but	war	is	a	necessary	response	whenstates	violate	their	international	obligations	or	attack	the	United	States.A	populist	president	on	a	perpetual	presidential	campaignIn	2018,	Trump’s	public	engagement	with	his	electorate	and	the	wider	public	at	his	rallies	and	on	Twitter	echoes	thesame	tone	of	the	official	campaign	communication	in	2016.	As	Figure	1	shows,	virulent	critiques	of	previousadministrations	and	Democratic	politicians	occur	alongside	kudos	for	Republican	politicians	who	have	supportedthe	Trump’s	administration’s	policy	initiatives	so	far	and	made	approving	remarks	about	the	activity	of	the	presidentsince	his	inauguration.	Both	speeches	and	tweets	communicate	to	the	electorate	a	clear	message,	as	printed	onmany	rally	signs:	‘Promises	made;	promises	kept.’	President	Trump	is	a	man	of	his	word,	who	made	guarantees	inhis	2016	campaign	and	has	made	every	effort	possible	to	keep	them	despite	opposition	by	Democrats	inWashington.	His	policies	are	not	only	very	good,	in	fact,	they	surpass	the	policies	of	previous	administrations	andoften,	are	simply	the	best	America	has	ever	seen.	Importantly,	his	policies	are	the	only	ones	motivated	solely	by	thebest	interest	of	the	American	people.Figure	1	–	Coded	themes	in	Trump’s	tweets	(over	10	references)USApp – American Politics and Policy Blog: Long Read: Trump’s electoral rhetoric has become self-interested, nativist policy Page 2 of 5		Date originally posted: 2020-07-31Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2020/07/31/long-read-trumps-electoral-rhetoric-has-become-self-interested-nativist-policy/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/In	his	speeches	(Figure	2),	the	‘American	people’	is	synonymous	with	disenfranchised	workers	from	the	Midwestand	the	South,	who	have	suffered	from	lower	incomes	and	loss	of	employment	due	to	globalisation,	job	flights,	andbad	trade	agreements	signed	by	previous	administrations.	To	correct	mistakes	from	the	past,	Trump	has	imposednew	tariffs	on	European	and	Chinese	goods	and	has	entered	a	new	continental	trade	agreement,	the	UMSCA,	withCanada	and	Mexico.	He	cites	higher	employment	rates	to	demonstrate	the	success	of	his	efforts	to	protect	therights	of	workers	in	agriculture,	manufacturing,	as	well	as	the	steel	and	aluminium	industries.	To	secureemployment	and	benefits	for	American	citizens,	Trump	considers	border	security	and	strict	immigration	controls	tobe	essential.	Illegal	migrants	are	malevolent,	criminals,	and	a	direct	threat	to	the	employment	and	public	servicespaid	for	by	American	workers.	He	is	also	particularly	concerned	with	the	wellbeing	of	veterans	and	of	the	activemembers	of	the	military,	seeking	to	make	healthcare	and	other	public	services	readily	available	to	them.Figure	2	–	Coded	themes	in	Trump’s	speeches	(over	40	references)Trump	says	no	to	the	liberal	internationalism	of	his	predecessorsUSApp – American Politics and Policy Blog: Long Read: Trump’s electoral rhetoric has become self-interested, nativist policy Page 3 of 5		Date originally posted: 2020-07-31Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2020/07/31/long-read-trumps-electoral-rhetoric-has-become-self-interested-nativist-policy/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/What	sets	Trump	apart	from	all	other	presidential	candidates	in	2016	was	his	aggressive	dismissal	of	liberalismand,	with	direct	foreign	policy	implications,	also	of	liberal	internationalism.	In	his	eyes,	the	democratic	norms	andmultilateral	institutions	that	support	the	liberal	international	order	are	fundamentally	flawed	because	of	the	economicand	financial	imbalance	they	generate.	By	2018,	Trump’s	approach	to	foreign	policy	had	crystallised	further.	Heviews	a	world	order	that	relies	on	a	greater	financial	commitment	and	stronger	military	support	from	the	US	asessentially	unfair	and	exploitative.	Trump	presents	such	a	change	in	international	position	as	directly	relevant	to	hisvoter	base,	guaranteeing	increased	economic	prosperity	and	greater	pride	in	their	nation’s	ability	to	garnerinternational	respect.	Trump	does	not	appear	interested	in	the	promotion	of	human	rights	abroad,	or	the	promotionof	democracy	tied	to	foreign	aid	and	international	development	efforts.	In	fact,	he	derides	international	financialassistance	as	a	form	of	exploitation	to	which	the	US	has	fallen	victim	due	to	poor	foreign	policy	agendas	of	previousliberal	administrations.	In	his	public	communication,	his	international	political	affinities	lie	primarily	with	far-rightpolitical	figures,	such	as	the	Brazilian	president,	Jair	Bolsonaro	and	the	Turkish	president,	Recep	Tayyip	Erdoğan.In	line	with	far-right	populist	discourse,	Trump	advances	an	exceptionalist	and	nativist	view	of	America’s	position	inthe	world	in	his	tweets	and	rally	speeches	from	2018.	Trump’s	official	rhetoric	centres	on	the	need	to	immediatelyremedy	three	main	areas	of	foreign	policy	concern	–	renegotiating	existing	trade	agreements	with	principal	tradepartners,	strengthening	American’s	military	position	in	the	world,	and	curbing	illegal	migration.	Trump	frames	hismain	role	as	president	in	populist	terms.	His	experience	in	the	area	of	international	business	is	essential	to	correctmistakes	made	by	previous	administrations,	who	have	signed	‘bad	policies	and	agreements’	and	have	allowedother	leaders	around	the	world	to	take	the	United	States	for	granted.	Subsequently,	the	United	States	is	in	theposition	of	a	victim	of	disadvantageous	agreements,	due	to	which	it	has	suffered	economic	decline	and	significantjob	loss.	To	paraphrase	him,	America	has	regained	the	international	respect	of	which	it	is	worthy.	Importantly,	thisrespect	translates	directly	into	more	jobs	and	higher	incomes	for	the	American	people.Trump’s	consistent	anti-immigrant	and	pro-border	security	rhetoricTwo	of	the	most	important	themes	in	his	official	communications	both	in	2016	and	in	2018	are	the	border	securityand,	relatedly,	of	immigration	control.	These	two	policy	issues	lie	at	the	centre	of	Trump’s	public	discourse	of	adistinctly	populist	nature,	with	important	ramifications	for	both	domestic	politics	and	foreign	policy.	Domestically,Trump	presents	illegal	immigration	as	a	threat	to	the	physical	security	of	the	American	people,	as	migrants	crossingthe	border	from	Mexico	are	often	violent	criminals.	Once	settled	in	the	US,	they	are	likely	to	be	taking	jobs	awayfrom	American	citizens	and	are	thus	a	greater	threat	to	Americans’	job	security	and	personal	wealth.As	a	foreign	policy	concern	mentioned	in	rally	speeches,	Trump	often	addresses	the	Mexican	government	and	alsoother	Central	American	administrations	calling	them	to	intervene	with	force	to	put	an	end	to	what	he	calls	‘thecaravans’	of	illegal	immigrants	consisting	mostly	of	refugees	from	El	Salvador	and	Honduras	that	travel	throughMexico	in	hopes	to	reach	the	US.	Trump	does	not	stop	short	of	threatening	to	commit	military	force	in	response	ofillegal	attempts	to	cross	the	southern	border	of	the	US.	To	him,	refugees	are	migrants	who	choose	not	to	enter	theUS	legally	and	who	aim	to	take	unfair	advantage	of	benefits	made	possible	through	the	hard	work	of	Americantaxpayers.	Moreover,	Trump	blames	the	liberal	Democrats	for	being	supportive	of	illegal	migration	and	focusing	onrefugee	rights	protection.	He	blames	liberals	for	jeopardising	the	security	of	the	American	people	by	intending	tobuild	‘sanctuary	cities’	that	welcome	migrants	and	to	squander	away	public	money	to	offer	illegal	immigrants	accessto	public	services.	Worst	of	all,	in	Trump’s	eyes,	is	the	Democrats	willingness	to	grant	illegal	migrants	the	ultimateright	of	all,	to	become	American	citizens	and	gain	the	legal	right	to	vote.Trump’s	populist	rhetoric	pervadesOne	of	the	most	remarkable,	indeed	shocking,	aspects	of	the	Trump	presidency	is	his	rhetoric.	His	manner	ofcommunicating	with	the	public	about	his	activities,	policies,	and	the	everyday	is	unprecedented	in	the	White	House.Trump’s	regular	use	of	social	media,	with	its	immediacy	of	contact,	also	makes	communication	feel	spontaneousand	authentic.	Trump’s	public	discourse	engages	with	themes	pertaining	to	populism	–	he	speaks	against	the	eliteswhile	professing	to	represent	the	best	interest	of	the	American	people.	A	staple	of	the	electoral	campaign	of	2016,this	type	of	populist	rhetoric	continued	after	Trump’s	inauguration	and	has	since	spilled	over	into	the	practice	offoreign	policymaking.USApp – American Politics and Policy Blog: Long Read: Trump’s electoral rhetoric has become self-interested, nativist policy Page 4 of 5		Date originally posted: 2020-07-31Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2020/07/31/long-read-trumps-electoral-rhetoric-has-become-self-interested-nativist-policy/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/A	revived	Jacksonian	populism	infuses	Trump’s	‘America	First’	approach	to	foreign	policy.	He	harbours	disdain	forliberal	elites	and	their	ideals	for	international	cooperation,	multilateralism,	and	a	global	liberal	order.	Moreover,President	Trump	appears	no	longer	interested	in	fostering	old	economic	alliances,	which	he	views	as	‘bad	deals’,and	seeks	to	renegotiate	new	trade	deals	that	he	finds	much	more	favourable	to	increase	the	wealth	and	wellbeingof	the	American	people.	Importantly,	Trump’s	rhetoric	shows	a	deep	scepticism	for	the	United	States’	capacity	tocontinue	maintaining	a	liberal	order.	Rather,	in	his	eyes,	a	disgruntled	America	has	found	itself	entangled	in	a	greatnumber	of	unprofitable	international	alliances	from	which	it	needs	to	reclaim	its	sovereignty.	In	this	context,	Trump’suse	of	populist	rhetoric	allows	him	to	explain	the	main	goals	of	his	foreign	policy	through	direct	ties	with	domesticpriorities	he	identifies	as	being	of	utmost	import	to	the	American	people	–	job	creation,	economic	growth,	andborder	security.	Ultimately,	Trump	claims	to	have	begun	the	important	process	of	restoring	the	long-lostinternational	respect	for	the	US	as	a	global	economic	and	political	power.This	article	is	based	on	the	paper,	‘Populism	and	President	Trump’s	approach	to	foreign	policy:	An	analysis	oftweets	and	rally	speeches’	published	in	Politics	(10.1177/0263395720935380),	as	part	of	the	special	issue‘Elections,	Rhetoric	and	American	Foreign	Policy	in	the	Age	of	Donald	Trump’	(10.1177/0263395720935376)Please	read	our	comments	policy	before	commenting.Note:	This	article	gives	the	views	of	the	author,	and	not	the	position	of	USAPP	–	American	Politics	and	Policy,	northe	London	School	of	Economics.	Shortened	URL	for	this	post:	https://bit.ly/33n5X2zAbout	the	authorCorina	Lacatus	–	Queen’s	University	BelfastCorina	Lacatus	is	Hillary	Rodham	Clinton	Fellow	at	the	Queen’s	University	Belfast,	where	sheresearches	international	organisations’	responses	to	complex	emergency	crises	of	public	health	andforced	displacement.	She	holds	a	PhD	in	International	Relations	from	the	London	School	ofEconomics	and	a	second	PhD	in	Germanic	Languages	and	Literatures	from	University	of	California,Los	Angeles.USApp – American Politics and Policy Blog: Long Read: Trump’s electoral rhetoric has become self-interested, nativist policy Page 5 of 5		Date originally posted: 2020-07-31Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2020/07/31/long-read-trumps-electoral-rhetoric-has-become-self-interested-nativist-policy/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/

Long read: Trump's electoral rhetoric has become self-interested, nativist policy

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Long read: Trump's electoral rhetoric has become self-interested, nativist policy

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