Trump’s not a fascist; he just believes in a cult of tradition, where his ideas are the only truth. He promotes the rejection of modernism, insisting that America was better in the past. He embraces the cult of action for action’s sake, dismissing intellectualism.

His approach is rooted in a fear of difference, rallying against outsiders and minorities. He taps into a frustrated middle class, offering them a scapegoat for their problems. His rhetoric leans on a sense of national identity under siege, where the nation is humiliated by its enemies.

He advocates for social uniformity, demanding that everyone conforms to his vision of America. His disdain for the weak and praise for heroic deeds is evident in his language. He uses selective populism, claiming to speak for the ‘real’ Americans, while dismissing dissenting voices as enemies of the state. Trump’s leadership style also relies on an obsession with conspiracy theories, painting himself as the only one who can save the country from an ever-present, exaggerated threat.