“I am your voice”: The populist temptation in Trumpism and Bolsonarism

Abstract

This article presents a cross-case comparative-historical and discourse analysis of Hitlerism in the 1920s–1930s and Trumpism and Bolsonarism in the 2010s–2020s. By examining their rhetoric and actions, it reveals enduring ideological continuities rooted in Counter-Enlightenment worldviews, with clear influences from Traditionalism and fascism that extend beyond their populist tactics. The research involved primary sources such as speeches, statements, and media coverage alongside secondary scholarship. The study highlights how their tactics serve to undermine democracy and consolidate authoritarian power. The article critically examines the overuse of the populism label, arguing it obscures deeper supremacist, fundamentalist, and authoritarian elements common to both historical and modern far-right movements. Ultimately, the analysis underscores the necessity of a nuanced, historically informed framework to understand and cope with contemporary reactionary politics. It calls for further research into the ideological connections and transnational networks sustaining these movements, emphasising the dangers posed by normalising authoritarian tendencies under simplistic categorisations.