Is Donald Trump Really All That Unprecedented?

Donald Trump at CPAC.
Photo by Gage Skidmore on Flickr. Creative commons license.
Author: Dan Sally
Created: 10 Mar, 2025
1 min read

Donald Trump's address to Congress last week is the latest in a string of highly partisan moves designed to please his base and needle his opponents. While his divisive approach seems unusual by modern standards, have we been here before? In this episode, Dan and Shawn plumb the depths of American history and find a president not all that dissimilar from our 45th/47th, discuss whether Trump is leading a lasting transformation of the GOP, or one that will fade like past populist movements, and what Democrats (and disaffected Republicans) can learn from history to mount an effective resistance.

In this article

Related articles

American flag on the back of a person at a gathering.
Do Moderates Matter -- Or Is the Political 'Middle' a Myth?
With the progressive ...
28 Apr, 2025
-
1 min read
Bernie Sanders and AOC at a Fighting Oligarchy rally.
Are Democrats Having Their Own MAGA Movement?
With only 562 days un...
21 Apr, 2025
-
1 min read
Cargo ship and harbor with a picture of the globe in the water.
Trump's Trade War: When Bad Economics Makes Good Politics
Last week, Americans ...
14 Apr, 2025
-
1 min read

Latest articles

Building with columns.
In 3 States, Partisans Pick the Secretary of State Without Voter or Executive Input
In 47 US states, the secretary of state is a recognized statewide office, and in most of those states, voters get to decide who holds it. But in three 3 states — Maine, Tennessee, and New Hampshire — the legislature holds that power exclusively....
29 Apr, 2025
-
8 min read
A man wearing an I Voted sticker on a collared shirt.
Charlottesville's First Use of Ranked Choice Voting is Unique -- Here's Why
Primary elections are scheduled in Charlottesville, Virginia, on June 17. However, there is something different about this election: It is the first time the city will use ranked choice voting (RCV). ...
29 Apr, 2025
-
4 min read
ballots in ballot box.
Congressmen Co-Lead Effort to Prohibit Ranked Choice Voting in Federal Elections
US Rep. Nick Begich (R-Alaska), who was elected under Alaska’s ranked choice voting (RCV) system, and US Rep. Abraham Hamadeh (R-Arizona) are co-leading an effort to prohibit the use of RCV in federal elections. ...
29 Apr, 2025
-
2 min read