Donald Trump’s presidential campaign platform of bigoted, anti-immigrant, Islamophobic right-wing populism hasn’t just been a smash success in the GOP primaries: It also has a wide swath of admirers across the Atlantic. Though Trump has provoked strong opposition from the political mainstream around the world, he has won the support of extremists who share his hostility to Muslims, immigration, cosmopolitan social values, the political establishment, and even the NATO military alliance.
Right-wing populism has surged in the last several years in Europe, and in most countries it’s found a home in one or more political parties—many of them relatively new. These parties’ leaders appeal lies in their extreme nationalist sentiments and overt bigotry toward out groups. For instance, Dutch Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders wants to end Muslim immigration and has stated that if the Netherlands bans Mein Kampf, it should ban the Quran too. The Sweden Democrats have their roots in neo-Nazism, and France’s National Front has long been the home of Holocaust deniers and fascist sympathizers.
In fact, Trump is now so popular among Europe's far-right leaders, we need a scorecard just to keep track of everyone who’s endorsed him:
Perhaps most seriously of all, Trump has the support of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who himself has financially supported far-right European parties like the National Front.
As Trump might say, he has tremendous support from the classiest world leaders.
