A new wave of populism has been simmering in many spots since the 1990s. Only in the last decade or so did it circulate widely and escalate sharply. It is this strain, and especially the recent boom, that concerns this book. For easy reference, we can call this surge “New Populism,” with the caveat that ‘it’ is always plural.

Technically, we should say New Populisms, since we are grappling with a thing that is multiple and multiplying. Like its predecessor, New Populism shows up in regional and ideological variety. Unlike its predecessor, it evolves and mushrooms rapidly. The catch is that we need the stability of a noun to speak of ‘it,’ when we are really talking about loosely linked activity, not a clearly bounded entity. Ironically, any hope of grasping this slick phenomenon begins by accepting that we can never do so. New Populism is not only plural; it's a shape-shifter too. So there are exceptions to every claim I’m about to make.

Admitting this, and proceeding with humility, we move closer to a fair depiction. Remember, plasticity is the charm and utility of populism—the start of understanding it, not a conceptual obstacle to overcome. Our task is to hold on to the diverse and changing nature of New Populisms even as we reference ‘it.’ I try my hand at this relaxed grip in this chapter, which answers a big question. How does New Populism exhibit the vital signs of populism and, also, bring something new to the table?

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The first half of the question is relatively easy, because many forms of New Populism emit all five clues introduced in Chapter 7. In what follows, I briefly illustrate this through a US lens, focusing on the right-facing Trump brand that officially rose to power in 2016 and continues to exert profound influence.

As I illustrate the five features, you may find it helpful to walk through them in terms of the setting(s) most familiar to you. In fact, doing so is crucial, for in the populisms near you, the clues will likely manifest differently and apply more and less. Context-sensitive reading like this is essential to our quest for a loose grip on a variable thing.

Here goes. And for anyone familiar with US news, it practically goes without saying.