Humour has become one of the most potent weapons in the populist politician’s playbook. Comedic populists like Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage and Argentinian president Javier Milei use ridicule, absurdity and sarcasm not just to entertain, but to deflect criticism, confuse opponents and present themselves as relatable outsiders. Their tomfoolery and comedic stunts often dominate headlines and capture attention online.
These uses of humour have been widely discussed in this context. But one key function of populist humour still receives too little attention: its power to mobilise disaffected voters.
My own research has examined how humour functions as a means of speaking truth to power. But I now believe that comedy, long mobilised as a subversive tool, is being appropriated by populists as a strategy for building political loyalty.
