“What is Trumpism?” is a question that has bedeviled political analysts for a decade now. Ever since he came down that escalator in 2015 and reshaped all of American politics forever, friends and foes alike have had trouble describing exactly what to make of his political program. There are the obvious things to say about Trump the man; his clownish appearance, his poor temperament, his peculiar speech patterns, but how do we assess him in terms of what his policies actually mean? How does one categorize him? Is he a populist? Bush 2.0? A dictator in waiting? The best theory out there on what Trumpism is in practice is a fusion of all of the above in service of a deception. A synthesis of a GOP leader as a Jacksonian populist, a staunch conservative, and an egoist. The Trump equation in effect, is that he uses a Jacksonian facade, to facilitate a hard-nosed conservatism, and what ultimately drives him as a person is base narcissism.

Kellyanne Conway, his 2016 campaign manager, once described Trump as a complicated person with simple ideas, while describing his peers as the opposite. I think she’s getting at something here, but there’s no way one could seriously describe Trump as “complicated” in any sense. I think there’s more complexity to his “craft” than most give credit, but the man himself is probably the most shallow person to ever hold office. His every thought and grievance is constantly made known to us through his social media, and it’s clear to the public, and especially his staff, that the key to his heart is sycophancy.

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