Right-Wing Populists Don’t Always Use Simpler Language Than Mainstream Leaders

For years, it's been assumed that right-wing populist leaders employ simpler language to connect with ordinary people. But this new study challenges that idea.

💭 Language Patterns

This research compares four key right-wing populists—Donald Trump (US), Marine Le Pen (France), Nigel Farage (UK), and Matteo Salvini (Italy)—to their main political opponents across these countries. Using a million words from speeches, the study analyzes linguistic complexity through several metrics.

📊 Key Findings

• On average, right-wing populists don't use significantly simpler language than mainstream rivals.
• Trump's language was only slightly simpler than Clinton's.
• Le Pen and Farage actually used more complex language in some cases.
• Salvini showed mixed results—simpler on some metrics but not others.

🧠 Why It Matters

This evidence suggests the "simple language" theory about populism may be overstated. The findings call for a re-examination of other common assumptions about populist communication strategies.