Steve Bannon, the controversial ex-chief strategist to President Donald Trump, praised Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna as the ‘economic populist‘ of the future on California Governor Gavin Newsom’s podcast. This has led to us debate widely on this unexpected recognition, as Bannon’s endorsement of Khanna reflects the growing reach of economic populism across party lines. The endorsement is a bombshell, signaling a potential reshaping of the political sepia: the end of the ideological lines as we know them.
Ro Khanna Is an Economic Populist with a Progressive Platform
Ro Khanna, congressman from California’s 17th District, is one of the most potent progressive voices in the U.S. House of Representatives. Khanna was elected in 2017, and the former Silicon Valley entrepreneur has made a name for himself pushing for a fairer economy — one that can include addressing income inequality, focusing on investments in renewable energy and most recently, fighting the corporate clout of Silicon Valley behemoths. His progressive policy positions place him on the left wing of the Democratic Party.
Key Positions of Ro Khanna
- Economic Justice: Khanna has been a steadfast advocate for redistributing wealth and fair wages. He has advocated for progressive taxation and has sought to limit the influence of big corporations over American politics.
- Tech Industry Regulation: As a congressman from Silicon Valley, Khanna has pushed for serious regulation of big tech firms, saying that their ultimately unchecked growth has gifted power to a few elite companies and taken it away from consumers and workers.
- **Climate Action and the Green New Deal: A strong supporter of the Green New Deal, Khanna has championed investment in clean energy, infrastructure, and climate policies that create good jobs while confronting the climate crisis.
- Universal Healthcare: Khanna is a vocal advocate of Medicare for All and asserts that healthcare should be a right for everyone, not a privilege for the wealthy few.
A Surprising Compliment From Steve Bannon: Economic Populism Takes Center Stage
And Steve Bannon’s connection to the alt-right movement that flourished during Donald Trump’s election campaign is well established, so his arrival at PAR then — its last major piece of work was to produce a big economic paper typically based on conservative, nationalist principles — was hardly considered free of potential problems. But in recent comments on Newsom’s podcast, he broke sharply from his typical rhetoric. Bannon described Khanna as an “economic populist”, a phrase that is often used to refer to politicians who align with the interests of working-class people rather than big business and the political establishment.
It might initially sound strange to hear a Trump alum like Bannon singing the praises of a Democrat like Khanna, who is in many ways the ideological opposite of a Trump acolyte, but it is really part of a larger movement in American politics: the appeal of economic populism, which cuts across party lines. Bannon has championed protectionism, tariffs and opposition to globalization, while Khanna, in general, has focused on the plight of working-class Americans — although from a progressive perspective. They are united in their deep concern over the effects of corporate greed, income inequality and the absence of employment in certain sectors.
Why Did Bannon Call Sharif Khanna an Economic Populist?
Bannon, who had been pursuing a far-right economic agenda calling for renationalization of many industries, welcomed a deal with Khanna, saying on the podcast that the congressman’s commitment to rebuilding American manufacturing and manufacturing high-paying jobs for working people fit into his own economic agenda. Khanna had also praised Bannon for the way he spoke about fighting big corporations and returning the power of the economy to the American people. Bannon’s endorsement is a sign that Khanna’s perspectives on economic policy are resonating beyond Democrats and with conservatives who are committed to a worker-centric economic agenda.
And, while Bannon and Khanna might not see eye-to-eye on every issue, their mutual concern for the working class is plain. Both have criticized trade policies that have led to the outsourcing of American jobs, and both say they would like to see more American manufacturing jobs returned to his country.
Economic Populism As A Bipartisan Movement?
Economic populism is about ordinary Americans, especially in the working and middle classes, who are demanding what they deserve, including jobs, fair pay, regulation of corporations, and economic justice.
Steve Bannon and Donald Trump as the New Face of Economic Populism on the Right
Steve Bannon is one of the most familiar faces in the right-wing economic populism movement. As a chief architect of Trump’s “America First” agenda, Bannon helped shape the president’s trade policies, which were marked by tariffs on China and renegotiating trade deals such as NAFTA. These protections were aimed at shielding American workers from the adverse impacts of globalization and restoring manufacturing jobs on American soil.
On economic issues, Bannon’s rhetoric centers on rolling back the power of multinational corporations and pursuing policies that prioritize the needs of American workers. He has emerged as a harsh critic of the U.S.’s trade relationships and the global economic order that he claims advantages elites at the expense of the working class.
Populism from the Left: Ro Khanna’s Economic Resistance
At the opposite end, Ro Khanna is a figure of a new economic populism that directly challenges the corporate-dominated status quo and calls for broader economic justice. Khanna’s program is based on progressivism, which balances growth with fairness, social and environmental responsibility. He argues that the economy is rigged to give the rich a better deal than the rest of us.
Some of those policies — especially his support for the Green New Deal and Medicare for All — embody his belief in government’s role in creating a more equitable economy. Though his views on subjects such as health care and climate change may differ from Bannon’s more conservative positions, both men believe the current system is broken and needs reform.
Can Economic Populism Breathe New Life Into the Left-Right Divide?
Economic populism is gaining ground in both parties, but can these movements actually provide common ground for the left AND the right? Despite divergences between Bannon and Khanna, I think there’s at least an interesting synergy around anti-corporatism and empathy for working-class Americans at the heart of Bannon’s Leftist zeitgeist.
In recent years, support for America-first policies, like bringing manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. and re-evaluating trade deals, has been on the rise. Now, economic populism pushing the political spectrum could open the door to unusual alliances between political figures who were on traditionally opposite sides of the spectrum.
The Future of Ro Khanna: Deperfected or Pr-ing If You Got Em?
Bannon’s positive analysis of Khanna could play a big role in the congressman’s political future. Though Khanna’s progressive policies run counter to Bannon’s conservative beliefs, the support from such a high-profile figure in conservative circles could broaden Khanna’s appeal among centrists and independent voters.
Khanna’s commitment to economic populism enables him to bridge divides between voters who may be disillusioned with the conventional left-right divide. His message resonating around economic fairness and workers’ rights could appeal to voters of all persuasions, especially, as the U.S. continues to come to grips with problems of income inequality, job insecurity, and the power of big companies.
Understanding the Future of Economic Populism in U.S. Politics
It is unclear, however, if these two can come together, as both Bannon and Khanna champion their own unique forms of economic populism. And though it might seem that there could never be common ground to be found between Bannon and Khanna, the two increasingly speak the same language on issues pertaining to the future of work and the importance of taking action to increase the economic strength of working-class Americans.
In the end, we may be seeing the emergence of a new period in American politics across party lines in favor of economic populism: And that may mean making economic issues the centerpiece and uniting to fight against the grip **corporate elites
