Donald Trump Is a Genuine Charismatic Leader

An Unflattering-compliment

Have you ever seen President Donald Trump at one of his rallies? The guy is sparkling out with charisma… The last thing I was intending to do is to write an article about Trump. This approach will remain impersonal, which means it’s all about Trump’s political persona, nothing more. Trump is genuinely a Charismatic leader. I’m not being sarcastic. I wish I was! But what does charisma mean in politics? Trust me, it is anything but flattering in the liberal world.

What does charisma mean in politics?

Many intellectuals gave charisma meticulous attention, and many attempted giving it a proper definition:

Charisma is the ability of an actor to exercise diffuse influence over the normative orientations of other actors.

Etzioni

Charisma in politics is highly linked to two concepts: popularity and intensity. But is it enough to attain a Charismatic leader?

For instance, think about the success of Hitler. He became one of the most charismatic leaders of all time. But, why is that?

He brought something new to the table.

He excelled in the art of propaganda and gave some ‘’passionate’’ speeches.

He labeled himself as the authentic voice of Germany.

Would he have achieved all of this in 2020 Germany? Absolutely not, because the context matters. Hitler had become a charismatic leader because of a major ally, timing. Germany lost WWI, and not only was it a humiliating defeat with the Versailles treaty but also, it drowned the nation’s economy in debts. Afterwar Germany was bitter and even resentful toward the democracy that failed her, and Hitler was there to soothe it. He sharply understood what the mass audience needed and wanted to hear.

Charisma is an emotional bond between a leader and his followers.

Lewis A. Froman Jr

With that being said, the Charismatization of a nation requires three components:

• The leader, in this case, Donald Trump.
• The followers: Trump supporters.
• The triggering event: We will get to that.

Donald Trump has always presented himself as a charismatic leader since he dove into politics. He needed to point out at current crises or even invent some occasionally -the famous unfamous Obamagate- to appeal his followers by suggesting unconventional solutions to build consensus. He also introduced his charismatic force to the world by displaying a bully position toward Mexico and China. This way, potential followers can label him as a leader who will take action around the globe.

The followers, on the other hand, turn into loyal consumers. They’re ready to take anything the charismatic leader has to offer. Accordingly, not only did Trump build a trustworthy bond with his followers, but he also created an emotional connection with them.

What about the triggering event in the case of charismatic leader Trump? I’ve come up with some theories, but I might be wrong. You can suggest your own, and we can discuss it.

• Concerns about losing identity with Obama’s administration (stepping away from conservatism, race issue, too much diversity, progressist ideology, legalization of gay marriage, concerns about immigration and borders).
• No solid trust regarding Hilary Clinton as a politician (who knows perhaps as a woman too), which to some extent, is understandable. The days of conventional politics are long gone. Not saying Trump was a better candidate because he was not, but he understood something Clinton didn’t. It’s not about your politics, it’s about the show you put to sell it to the public. Biden knows that too, which makes the 2020 election campaigns Spectacular Spectacular!
• Boredom to hear the same old political crap. No politician would have dared to do what Trump is doing: Being who he is and not giving a damn. First, other politicians might have actually been impeached. Second, Trump may be unfit to hold office, but he knows that not caring and playing dumb is his greatest weapon.

How do you spot a charismatic leader?

According to Max Weber’s theory, a charismatic leader doesn’t seek his legitimacy from the reliability of his leadership rather than a social acknowledgement of his uniqueness, his unconventional speeches, and his extraordinary performance.

Here are some features that charismatic leaders embody:

• The use of symbols: Trump falls unquestionably into this category. Make America Great Again, the Trump tower, making tweets his thing as a leader, defending the confederate statues, and now leaning to Nazi symbols during his election campaign 2020 against Biden.
• Anything is possible: Being a charismatic leader means relying on personal patterns rather than an office to do politics. They achieve their purposes by shortcutting bureaucracy. Charismatic leaders attempt if not succeed in changing the law, adding or retrieving legislations for one purpose: more power, and sometimes, unlimited power.
• They adore Propaganda: Every charismatic leader chooses a cause and makes it his mission. We are talking about colonization, inquisition, going to war, or building a wall… They take one knotty situation and propose an unusual solution, usually a banal one, but it is enough to convince his loyal consumers.
• Rallies are their sanctuary: It’s their haven where they get to contaminate people with their enthusiasm and charisma while converting new followers down the process. They love rallies because of their “oratory skills”. Their speeches may not be sophisticated, but they’re definitely efficient. It’s about the vibe and the emotion followers get to experience as the charismatic leader speaks, regardless of what he’s actually saying.
• The media is the enemy: The media has always played the role of watching what political power is doing in office, but also in the backstage. As an illustration, during Fascist Italy led by Mussolini, newspapers were persecuted in case of opposing ideologically the regime, which segued into censorship, arrests, closure, or even disappearances. Back to trump, he may not be able to do what Mussolini did, but he found a way to discredit the media, in other words: Fake news!

Top charismatic leaders of the 20th century

7- Saddam Hussein

6- Ruhollah Khomeini

5-Mao Zedong

4-Stalin

3- Idi Amin

2- Mussolini

1- Hitler

Top charismatic leaders of the 21st century

7- Narendra Modi

6- Donald Trump

5- Recep Tayyip Erdogan

4- Vladimir Putin

3- Kim Jong-Un

2- Ben Ladden

1- Xi Jinping

Some charismatic leaders of all times: Cesare, Heads of organized religious institutions, Pharaons…

The takeaway

Donald Trump may not seem charismatic, but he follows the lead of previous charismatic leaders, It’s all there.

Now, does it mean that the U.S is starting to lean to totalitarian regimes? I’d say that some features match when it comes to the current leader of the free world.

However, there is a divergent point: unlike these regimes, they still have the right to choose who to put in office, even though lobbying is as affluent as Trump’s Tweets.

The final say goes to the people.

Any suggestion, any viewpoint, any comment are welcome.

If you like this story, and want to keep up with fresh ideas and criticisms about how we can structure our post-Capitalist world, follow The Domino.