Trump’s Faux Populism—And Why It Failed Working America
Fri Jan 30 2026
On today’s episode of The Liberal Patriot Podcast, I talk with Iowa state legislator and U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek about why Donald Trump’s populism resonated with working-class voters—and why it ultimately failed to deliver. We examine faux populism, rural economic decline, tariffs, health care, and what genuine working-class politics would require beyond slogans and culture war performance.
Turek is one of the first candidates endorsed by The Bench, a new organization dedicated to supporting Democrats like Josh who are trying to win competitive elections and flip seats in red areas by representing the values and policy desires of working-class voters and their families in a pragmatic manner.
A transcript of this podcast is available at the top of the page on our website.
Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe
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On today’s episode of The Liberal Patriot Podcast, I talk with Iowa state legislator and U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek about why Donald Trump’s populism resonated with working-class voters—and why it ultimately failed to deliver. We examine faux populism, rural economic decline, tariffs, health care, and what genuine working-class politics would require beyond slogans and culture war performance. Turek is one of the first candidates endorsed by The Bench, a new organization dedicated to supporting Democrats like Josh who are trying to win competitive elections and flip seats in red areas by representing the values and policy desires of working-class voters and their families in a pragmatic manner. A transcript of this podcast is available at the top of the page on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe