Right-wing populism is a strange bird, an ideology that's not grounded in any enduring economic or philosophical principles. It mainly entails using the government to address a variety of ill-formed social, nationalistic, and cultural grievances. Former British politician David Gauke was spot on when he says that populism amounts to little more than "a willingness by politicians to say what they think the public wants to hear."
That's why President-elect Donald Trump's recent appointments reflect a mish-mash of conflicting opinions. Many conservatives were, for instance, shocked by his selection of Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R–Ore.) as Labor Secretary given that her pro-union positions aren't different from those advocated by President Joe Biden.
