Donald Trump, accountability, and the familiar playbook of populists

Populist leaders of Mr Trump's stripe are provided the latitude to make multiple mistakes on an epic scale, any individual one of which might have sunk the career of a centrist predecessor

One of the most noticeable things about Donald Trump’s first tempestuous months as President of the United States (US) is how his diehard supporters have not lost an iota of their faith in him. The President has come into office and torn up various treaties; sent US citizens and legal residents to offshore hellholes in violation of law, court orders, and the Constitution; arranged to have judges arrested; tanked the stock market and dangerously destabilised the bond markets; and caused the US to slip into negative growth. From selling prosperity and greatness, Mr Trump’s message has changed now to promising