Economic and identity populism on digital platforms. Milei and Abascal on TikTok

Abstract

In a context where social media and digital platforms have come key spaces for ideological expression and civic mobilization, TikTok emerges as a central space for the dissemination of political discourses that are polarizing, emotionally charged and aesthetically crafted for virality. This study examines the communicative strategies of two leaders commonly regarded as populists Javier Milei (Argentina) and Santiago Abascal (Spain) on TikTok, with the aim of analyzing how the employ this platform in discursive and rhetorical terms and how their engagement operates. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach with an explanatory sequential design, combining quantitative techniques (descriptive and inferential statistics) and qualitative analysis. The period under review spans 43 months (February 2022-October 2025). All videos published by Milei were analyzed, while in Abascal´s case a systematic probabilistic sampling was applied to cover the entire period. The final sample consisted of 194 videos. Both leaders use TikTok to construct populist leadership through emotional and aesthetic narratives tailored to the logic of virality, although they diverge in thematic focus. Milei emphasizes an economic populism with a disruptive and aggressive tone, whereas Abascal reinforces a nationalist identity with an epic and institutional aesthetic. Both exploit rhetorical and visual resources that intensify affective polarization (the use of “us versus them”), which generates the highest levels of interaction. Consequently, TikTok functions more as a space for emotional adhesion than for democratic deliberation, prompting a critical perspective on the platform’s role as a technopolitical space.