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The Conversation
The Conversation
Politics
Dannagal G. Young, Professor of Communication and Political Science, University of Delaware

How populist leaders like Trump use ‘common sense’ as an ideological weapon to undermine facts

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, left, is part of a 'revolution of common sense' led by President Donald Trump. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

It’s “the revolution of common sense,” President Donald Trump announced in his second inaugural address.

And so it is. The latest installment of that assertion came in his Jan. 30, 2025, press conference about the Potomac plane crash. When asked how he had concluded that diversity policies were responsible for a crash that was still under investigation, Trump responded, “Because I have common sense, OK?”

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