The Populist Trap....
A cautionary explanation of why the People’s Party is a tool.
Don’t be fools....

Let’s start with something familiar. It was done first by Putin.
Putin distinguished himself by projecting the image of a man of the people rather than a member of the privileged elite.

As prime minister and then president, Putin used earthy Russian language rather than diplomatic political speak to connect with the public.

Putin also leveraged powerful symbols—such as a new national anthem set to the Soviet hymn to shore up patriotism among Russians still reeling from the collapse of the Soviet Union.

These populist gestures helped solidify a level of support among average Russians that has been essential to Putin’s hold on power ever since.

Putin’s well-known embrace of populist themes on the international stage is part of a broader Russian strategy to weaken support for U.S. and European governments unfriendly to Russia.

The Kremlin seeks to exploit internal divisions in these powers in the hope of hindering their ability to challenge Russian interests.

The Kremlin’s embrace of the populist narratives that powered the candidacies of figures like U.S. President Donald Trump and France’s Marine Le Pen.

This conveys the sense that Putin is willing to take on the establishment by championing the interests of those who are the most skeptical of the democratic liberal world order.

One example is Russia’s support for Germany’s ultra-nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. AfD’s leaders are unapologetically anti-establishment and pro-Russian, and they frequently parrot the Kremlin’s talking points.

This would be Russia....

This is in the US....

Explanation of the Bottom of the political horseshoe.....
Populism itself cannot be positioned on the left–right political spectrum, and both right and left-wing populisms exist.

Have I conveyed this adequately?

Putin uses the Populist Trap to stay in power.