Honestly with Bari Weiss
Trump’s Populism Isn’t a Sideshow. It’s as American as Apple Pie.
Wed, 22 Jan 2025
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. If you liked what you heard from Honestly, the best way to support us is to go to TheFP.com and become a Free Press subscriber today. 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
Full Episode
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Hi, Honestly listeners. Barry here with an exciting episode and announcement for you today. If you've been listening over the last few months, you've definitely heard our incredible reporter Eli Lake on the show. He's been coming on to tell stories of the past that help us understand the chaotic present. Well, we have great news for you guys.
We are launching a brand new podcast from the Free Press. It's called Breaking History. It's hosted by Eli Lake, and it starts today. I'm thrilled to play the first episode of Breaking History on Honestly For You. It's the story of the first populist president, Andrew Jackson, and the history of American populism more generally.
all of which helps explain the populist wave that put President Trump in office once again. As Eli argues, populism isn't an aberration. It is as American as apple pie. It's a fundamental part of our country's political DNA. Andrew Jackson's legacy is not as pristine as our heroes, people like Abraham Lincoln or Martin Luther King.
But Jackson helped forge our nation by reflecting who we were, even if parts of that reflection aren't so pretty to look at. And if there's anyone who can help us forecast what Trump's second term might look like, it's the man on the $20 bill. It's a fantastic episode, and I am so excited for you to hear it, and I'm just so excited about this show. Please do me a favor.
Pause this episode before you listen and go subscribe to Breaking History on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, actually go and do that. I'll be waiting here for you. Go and subscribe to this show because you will love it. Breaking history. Wherever you listen to Honestly, subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode. I'm waiting. I'm still waiting and I'll be here.
Go subscribe. Okay, now that you've done that, here is Eli Lake.
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