Abstract
Few public figures have been as polarizing over the past half-century as Donald Trump. Every post he makes on social media or in the press seems to spark a reaction: fascination, irony, irritation, anger, and often fear — at least on the European side of the Atlantic. Yet such instinctive responses can also obscure the real question. What lies at the heart of the American president’s influence? How does he preserve the loyalty of his supporters? Leadership research offers several well-established frameworks that help answer these questions.