Friday’s inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States capped a populist movement that confused and enthralled nearly equal numbers of Americans.

As the crowds cleared after the inaugural address, many wondered how a billionaire with strong ties to Russia convinced working people that he represented them. Trump owes much of his success to the populist rhetoric, unfiltered conviction and celebrity recognition that he effused during the campaign. These defining elements of Trump’s candidacy have been seen before in American presidential politics. However, Trump used these tactics disingenuously, running not as a man of the people who wanted to “drain the swamp” but rather as a businessman who wanted to fill the swamp with his own brand of alligators. As the 45th president proclaimed that “from this moment on, it’s going to be America First,” echoes of populist and seventh president Andrew Jackson emanated through the crowd. However, until we break the illusion that he creates, it will be Donald Trump first and America second.

In 1828, Andrew Jackson defeated incumbent President John Quincy Adams, who, for many, was a symbol of corruption and big government, just as the Clinton family is today. In “A People and a Nation,” Mary Beth Norton explains that “Jacksonians believed the people’s will had finally prevailed. Through a lavishly financed coalition of state parties, political leaders, and newspaper editors, a popular movement had elected the president.” Similarly, many of Trump’s supporters referred to themselves as “the silent majority” and viewed his election as a win for the average American. Throughout the campaign, Trump crusaded against big government and “Crooked Hillary Clinton.” He painted himself as a man of the people and garnered support for not being part of the Washington elite. In Friday’s inauguration address, Trump preached that “we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, DC, and giving it back to you, the people.”

This rhetoric effuses populism, but it is disingenuous because Trump is cut from a different cloth than his supporters. While Jackson came from modest means and believed in the limiting the role of government, Trump inherited great wealth and is a corporate magnate who manufactures products in foreign countries and bloviates on making America “great again.” The fact that Donald Trump was able to successfully misrepresent his identity and convince the American people that he represents them illustrates the power of populist rhetoric and blurs the line between perception and reality.

Parallels to past presidents do not end with Jackson. President Lyndon B. Johnson was known as a strategic manipulator from his days as the Senate Majority Whip. Johnson once commented, “give [the lowest white man] somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.” Donald Trump did just this in the 2016 campaign, casting Muslims and Hispanic immigrants as scapegoats in order to fuel a white support base. Employing a mix of rudeness and charm that echoes Johnson, Trump proved his statement true with his victory. By redirecting anger in a turbulent time, he strategically ignited factions of the American population.

Prior to entering the political arena, President Ronald Reagan’s acting career defined his public identity. Similarly, before announcing his bid for president, Donald Trump was known as a real-estate mogul with a reality television show. Reagan surprised many when he won the 1966 California governor’s race by over one million votes, and his celebrity recognition and actor’s eloquence helped propel his political career. As a Hollywood celebrity, Reagan convinced new audiences of the merits of conservatism. Donald Trump put his celebrity status to work for him in a similar way, packaging his ideas not as traditional conservatism, but as a Trump-branded plan for making the country great. This branding worked especially well with economic issues, because Trump is, to millions of Americans, the financially successful boss on “The Apprentice.” The line between perception and reality blurs once again as Trump takes his television role to the Oval Office.

As a smaller-than-usual crowd gathered to watch Donald Trump sworn in as president, a new reality set in. While his lack of experience and concrete policies makes it hard to know what Trump will do in office, a look at American history shows that our country has bought this book before, if not with an orange cover. Populism, off-color remarks and celebrity status are not new to the White House, but the combination of the three in a mass deception of the American people is. It is up to us to decide how long this illusion lasts.