Radical Rightism and the Global Realignment of Contemporary Conservatism in the 2020s: Trump’s 2025 Presidency and the Transnational Global Right

Abstract

This study examines the resurgence and institutionalization of radical right-wing politics and conservative nationalism in the 2020s, focusing on Donald J. Trump’s return to the U.S. presidency and the simultaneous rise of far-right parties worldwide. It argues that contemporary radical right movements have moved from the political margins to become influential forces shaping party systems, media environments, and transnational alliances. The study traces ideological alignments, strategic adaptations, and internal tensions within the global right, highlighting expanding networks across the United States, Europe, and the Global South despite disagreements over sovereignty and foreign policy. Commonly associated with “Trumpism,” these movements emphasize nationalist ideology, charismatic leadership, anti-establishment populism, and an “America First” outlook prioritizing national sovereignty, border control, economic protectionism, and skepticism toward multilateral institutions. It views politics as a moral battle between a “virtuous person” and “corrupt person”, delegitimize the media, bureaucratic institutes, and judicial decrees. They increasingly challenge liberal democratic norms through personalized leadership, declining trust in electoral institutions, and confrontational styles of governance grounded in cultural majoritarianism. Methodologically the study adopts a qualitative, comparative and transnational research design, integrating perspectives from comparative politics, international relations and political communication. The significance of the study lies in demonstrating the immergence of “Illiberal Institutional”, the reconfiguration of sovereignty and multilateralism, and the broader implications of the global conservative realignment for the democratic resilience and of the liberal international order.