Was populism worth it?
Today, Explained

Was populism worth it?

B2Upper-intermediateNovember 3, 202625 min
  • Politics

A new era of American populism kicked off with Donald Trump in 2016. Ten years later, Americans don't have much to show for it. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore and Bridger Dunnagan, and hosted by Noel King. People cheer as President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at Macomb Community College on April 29, 2025 at Warren, Michigan. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off...

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Sam Forstag, running for Congress as a Dem in Montana.

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0:00

US Americans, Pokemon, go to the polls today. And this year, many of the attention-grabbing candidates are identifying or being identified as populists. Gina Inajosa, a Democrat, is running a competitive race for governor in Texas.

0:16

Populism is about economic power. Sam Forstag, running for Congress as a Dem in Montana. I'm running as a populist because populism is what the Democratic Party is supposed to be about.

0:26

It's what democracy is supposed to be about. a Democrat running for Congress in Ohio. We want to once again have a common sense prey populist that is fighting for the people. Dan Osborn running for Senate as an independent in Nebraska didn't use the word populist, but...

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