Trump and the Elites

With the recent vote by the British to leave the European Union being one more sign of rising nationalism and distrust of the elites, it is not surprising that Donald Trump was glowing in his praise of that decision. His candidacy largely appeals to the same type of voters who gave the leave vote a resounding victory in the British referendum, mainly those who fear the big changes occurring in society (globalization, immigration, terrorism) and who believe the elites currently in power have failed them. It might seem ironic that Donald Trump, arguably a member of the elite himself, would appeal to a group of voters who deeply distrust the elites. 
 
 Trump grew up in privilege, received the best education, and got financial help from his father when starting his business career. Throughout his career he has partied with the rich and powerful, and has had access to politicians and bankers to help him when needed. That such a man would appeal to voters who represent the polar opposite of his upper-class background might seem unlikely at first glance. To understand this phenomenon requires a sorting of the various facets of elitism. 
 
 To be considered a member of the elite, one must rise to the top few percent of individuals in at least one of three main areas: financial, political or intellectual. It would seem Donald Trump meets this criterion in only one of these three areas, the financial. With his net worth estimated at somewhere between $4 billion and $10 billion, he clearly is in the top 1% as measured by wealth. He cleverly turns his wealth into an advantage by self-funding his campaign, claiming this avoids any obligations to big donors.

However, he is not a member of the political elite (at least not yet). He has never run for public office before and has never played a major role in the campaign of any other candidates for public office. This allows him to claim to be a political outsider with no obligations to political power brokers, and to be unconstrained by political convention. Surely this has helped him appeal to voters who are frustrated with the inability of Congress and the president to address the main issues facing our nation. It also allows him to strike a stark contrast with Hillary on this point.
 
 Though he is an intelligent man, few if any would place him among the intellectual elite. He has a common touch when addressing his audiences, using common language to describe his political positions. He assiduously avoids any deep analytical approach to complex issues, instead relying on a simple, direct and sometimes vulgar approach to connect with his audience.

He doesn’t trouble himself to become familiar with the details of an issue until someone, usually a member of the press, asks an embarrassingly detailed question.

So what makes Donald Trump so appealing to a significant portion of the voting population? He seems to have an ability to tap into the fears of many voters on the major issues, and speaks in a largely unfiltered common language that helps him connect with voters regardless of their level of education or their social position. To his supporters he offers a refreshing contrast with politicians of the recent past. To his detractors he represents a dangerously undisciplined demagogue who could upset the political order of our nation, and potentially the world.