Trump’s Populism Isn’t a Sideshow. It’s as American as Apple Pie.

Honestly with Bari Weiss

The Free Press

News, Society & Culture

4.6 • 7.8K Ratings

🗓️ 22 January 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Donald Trump, just sworn in as the 47th president, was reelected to be a wrecking ball, a middle finger, the people’s punch to the Beltway’s mouth. And while this populist moment feels “unprecedented,” it’s not. The rebuke of the ruling class is encoded in our nation’s DNA. We have seen populist leaders like Donald Trump before. He stands on the shoulders of Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot, Alabama governor George Wallace, and Louisiana legend Huey Long. There have been populist senators, governors, newspaper editors, and radio broadcasters. But only rarely has a populist climbed as high as President Trump. In fact, it has happened only once before. The last populist to win the presidency was born before the American Revolution. He rose from nothing to become a great general. His adoring troops called him Old Hickory, and his enemies derided him as a bigamist and a tyrant in waiting. His name was Andrew Jackson, and he’s the guy who’s still on the 20 dollar bill. On today’s debut episode of Breaking History, Eli Lake explains how Andrew Jackson’s presidency is the best guide to what Trump’s second term could look like. Go to groundnews.com/Honestly to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on today’s biggest news stories. Credits: Andrew Jackson: Good, Evil and the Presidency; PBS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:55.9	forward slash podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
1:01.2	Hi, honestly, listeners, Barry here with an exciting episode and announcement for you today.
1:06.7	If you've been listening over the last few months, you've definitely heard our incredible
1:10.6	reporter Eli Lake on the show. He's been coming on to tell stories of the past. If you've been listening over the last few months, you've definitely heard our incredible reporter
1:11.1	Eli Lake on the show. He's been coming on to tell stories of the past that help us understand
1:16.2	the chaotic present. Well, we have great news for you guys. We are launching a brand new podcast
1:22.7	from the free press. It's called Breaking History. It's hosted by Eli Lake, and it starts today. I'm thrilled to
1:29.9	play the first episode of Breaking History on Honestly for you. It's the story of the first populist
1:35.4	president, Andrew Jackson, and the history of American populism more generally, all of which helps
1:41.7	explain the populist wave that put President Trump in office once again.
1:46.6	As Eli argues, populism isn't an aberration. It is as American as apple pie. It's a fundamental
1:53.3	part of our country's political DNA. Andrew Jackson's legacy is not as pristine as our heroes,
1:59.9	people like Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King.
	...

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