Understanding the political and economic thought of Trumpism: why have impoverished workers and wealthy technological elites in the U.S. adopted a shared ideology?

Abstract This article addresses the paradox of the MAGA movement in the United States, which has united impoverished workers from de-industrialized rural areas with technological leaders in the top one percent of the wealth distribution for the common cause of political and economic change. It is argued that Trumpism cannot be classified as a “thin-centred ideology,” but is instead a comprehensive ideology concerning the social and economic position of the United States in the global economy. In this article, this ideology is deconstructed, thereby demonstrating a rejection of the notion of competing with cheap labor and a criticism of redistributive measures as a solution. Instead Trumpism combines visions for innovation and the protection of workers’ identities with notions of global dominance and unilateralism, resulting in violations of human rights and the dissolution of the separation of powers. Furthermore, it elucidates the reasons why an electorate that is characterized by a high degree of socio-economic diversity has expressed support for these markedly distinct and radical measures.