As a way of doing politics, populist authoritarianism is used by leaders who represent  themselves as anti-elite, ordinary folks who stand up to the out-of-touch, in-it-for-themselves types, who reside in the ivory tower.
Populists bypass democratic institutions in order to “speak directly to the people” at rallies or public appearances or, these days, on social media. Meanwhile, they attack institutions and treat the country they govern as a source of personal enrichment. Does any of this sound familiar?
Believing that Trumpian populism is a political force with solutions for the common good will only lead to bad ideas and even worse policy.