TRUMP WELCOMES HIS UNPOPULARITY

The Dictator’s Playbook: Why Trump’s Unpopularity Doesn’t Matter

Turn on any news outlet, and you’ll hear the same refrain: Donald Trump is “underwater.” His approval ratings are terrible, his disapproval numbers historic, and in every category from the economy to foreign policy, he is said to be the most unpopular president of modern times. The pundits repeat it like a mantra: Americans don’t like him. He’s losing support. He can’t last.

But here is the truth: it doesn’t matter.

Unpopularity as a Feature, Not a Bug

The mainstream media treats Trump’s low standing in public opinion as if it will naturally correct the problem of authoritarian drift. They imagine that, because a majority dislikes him, democracy will self-heal. But this misunderstands dictators' playbook. Unpopularity is not a barrier; it is a tool.

Authoritarians often thrive by tearing institutions down, sowing chaos, and presenting themselves as the only figure strong enough to restore order. To do that, they need instability more than popularity. If the public despises them, all the better; it fuels division, exhausts resistance, and convinces citizens that politics is hopeless. In the wreckage, the strongman consolidates power.

The False Comfort of Polls

Polls measure sentiment, not power. Trump knows he doesn’t need to win hearts and minds—he needs to bend structures. With control over party machinery, state legislatures, courts, and the administrative workforce, he can cling to office regardless of popularity. Dictators do not ask for permission; they seize mechanisms.

By focusing endlessly on polls, the media distracts from the real danger: the dismantling of institutions, politicizing justice, and the concentration of power in the executive branch. Whether he is liked or loathed has little bearing on whether he remains in power.

The Playbook in Action

Look closely at his strategy:

• Destroy trust in elections. If people believe their vote doesn’t matter, turnout collapses, and democracy withers.
• Undermine independent institutions. Civil servants, inspectors, and regulators are recast as enemies and purged.
• Foment division. Every crisis—tariffs, immigration restrictions, debt—becomes a weapon to polarize the public, not to solve problems.
• Claim exclusive authority. After burning down the house, he declares himself the only one to rebuild it.

This is the dictator’s playbook, followed in every century and every region of the world. Trump is no exception.

Beyond Popularity Contests

It is time to stop treating democracy as a popularity contest. Tyranny does not depend on being liked; it depends on controlling levers of state. The media’s obsession with Trump’s “unpopularity” misses the point entirely. In fact, it plays into his hands by keeping attention fixed on meaningless metrics while the foundations of democracy erode.

The Real Question

So let us ask the only question that matters: not whether Trump is popular, but whether Americans will allow their institutions to be dismantled while they debate polling numbers. Dictatorships are not built on approval ratings but on apathy, distraction, and the failure to act.

Unpopularity is irrelevant. What matters is power. Trump knows it. The sooner we do too, the better chance we have of resisting the trap he has laid.

William James Spriggs