What are the key characteristics of authoritarian leaders like Donald Trump?
Executive summary
Authoritarian leaders of the "authoritarian populism" type combine populist rhetoric with efforts to aggrandize executive power, delegitimize opponents and institutions, and cultivate loyalist networks—traits scholars identify in figures such as Donald Trump, Narendra Modi and Giorgia Meloni [1] [2]. Academic and journalistic analyses show this pattern includes institutional attacks, disinformation, personalization of power, and appeals to followers’ authoritarian predispositions, even when exercised inside formally competitive democracies [1] [3].
1. Personalization of power and “man-of-the-people” theatrics
Authoritarian populists elevate the leader above institutions by dramatizing a direct relationship with “the people,” blurring norms that separate office from personal loyalty, a strategy UC Berkeley calls central to “authoritarian populism” and visible in Trump’s style and public performances [1] [2]. Commentators note that such personalism reshapes governance into a more personalist form—“governance by whim”—that can sideline bureaucratic processes and normal constraints [4].
2. Delegitimizing institutions and co-opting state organs
A recurring characteristic is the systematic undermining of independent institutions—courts, press, universities, and law enforcement—either by attacking their legitimacy, politicizing them, or converting them into instruments of the leader’s agenda, a pattern highlighted by UC Berkeley researchers and observers comparing Trump-era moves to other competitive-authoritarian strategies [1] [3]. Analysts warn that turning historically independent actors into political tools is a common authoritarian tactic [2] [3].
3. Disinformation, hostile rhetoric, and fueling political violence
Authoritarian leaders often weaponize falsehoods and incendiary rhetoric to delegitimize rivals and mobilize support; scholars argue Trump used such tactics, and reports connect rhetoric about stolen elections to increased tolerance for political violence among followers [5] [6]. Critics and academics caution that cultivation of such narratives does not always require direct orders to produce violent outcomes—rhetoric and framing can be sufficient to encourage action [5].
4. Appealing to authoritarian predispositions among followers
Research in political psychology links authoritarian followers—those high on right‑wing authoritarianism or similar measures—to support for strong leaders who promise order, hierarchy, and punitive measures; several studies and polls show a statistically meaningful overlap between such predispositions and support for Trump [7] [6] [8]. Scholars describe a “toxic triangle” where societal threats, a narcissistic leader, and predisposed followers create fertile ground for authoritarian projects [8].
5. Mixing populist anti‑elitism with protectionism and patronage
Authoritarian populists simultaneously denounce elites and court particular economic or political actors, producing a hybrid of libertarian and authoritarian interventions—easing some regulations while steering state power toward allies—an analytic point drawn in recent commentary on Trump’s economic governance [9]. Observers argue this duality can benefit consolidation of control even while professing market-friendly or anti‑establishment rhetoric [9].
6. Variations, limits, and contested diagnoses
Not all observers agree on labels or trajectories: some stress Trump is a democratically elected leader operating within limits—his approval ratings historically lower than classical autocrats—so outcomes depend on institutional resilience and public support [3]. Other analysts and watchdogs warn the “authoritarian playbook” can be incremental and international networks of strongmen provide models and encouragement, meaning that both declining popularity and steady institutional erosion must be tracked [10] [11]. Reporting and scholarship therefore diverge on whether personality, follower psychology, institutional moves, or external models are the primary drivers [7] [12].
Conclusion: what to watch for
The key characteristics to monitor are personalization of authority, attacks on institutional independence, the use of disinformation and mobilizing rhetoric, exploitation of followers’ authoritarian tendencies, and strategic mixes of economic and legal power to reward loyalists—each documented in academic and journalistic studies of Trump-like leaders and flagged in comparative analyses of authoritarian populism [1] [2] [5] [3] [10].