Hitler was some wealthy German's solution to controlling the government, only to have the psychopathic nature of their puppet turn on them and destroy much of the society in the process. Leaders that want to govern and make sure the country works for all its members, don't create dysfunction or increase antipathy in citizens, just as real journalists do not poison the discourse with lies designed to manipulate people against their own interests and for the benefit of only a few.
I would argue that the allure of populism goes up as a country's economy and power structures yield greater inequality and a sense of powerlessness. These arise from the needs of a sick few to own, control and consume as much as possible, with an antipathy toward sharing the wealth and the power.

We can't fight authoritarianism without understanding populism's allure
https://theconversation.com/we-cant-fight-authoritarianism-without-understanding-populisms-allure-201544

#GreedIsAntiSocial
#TheSickCravePower
#GreedIsASickness
#PopulistLeadersRSick
#WeRInThisTogether
#TogetherWeAllThrive

""...Populist politicians of the most recent wave were lucky. Their rule was based on oversized personalities with lots of charisma.

The leaders of the current phase, however, are smarter and their Machiavellian ambitions grander.
...
Populism 2.0
The focused populism of 2023 is light years away from the unexpected successes of 2016. The newest class of right-wing populists aims not only to dismantle the guardrails of democracy, but also the most fundamental principles of the rule of law.
...
Recent surveys have shown that citizens in democracies around the world increasingly believe that both government and the media are “divisive forces in society.”
...
Research into Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy, the so-called Dark Triad of anti-social personality traits, draws upon Adorno’s important insights. Social scientists are now identifying the link between a vindictive world view and political extremism, online abuse and hate speech.

The masks of command
Each authoritarian leader is different, bound only by their anti-liberalism, Dark Triad traits and their celebration as the ringleader of a populist circus.

In our recent book, Has Populism Won?, we show how charismatic leaders encourage a form of totalitarianism in which blind allegiance creates a feeling of partisan belonging. To carry it off, leaders wear what we call “masks of command” to rally their followers.

In our assessment, leaders who spin webs of lies wear the mask of “conspirator-in-chief.” The conspirator uses favours, relationships and money to destabilize institutions and erode the norms that stand in the way of autocracy.

...Netanyahu relies upon the commander’s mask of “first citizen of the empire” when he argues that the solution to societal polarization is more personalized power.
...
Johnson and Trump frequently wore the aggressive mask of “national defender.” As false tribunes of the people, they weaponized immigration to their own advantage.
...
The “holy crusader” is even more ambitious because he believes he can change the entire international order to return his nation to greatness.
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For example, Putin is a warmonger who uses imperialistic belligerence to disguise his nation’s decline.
...
So how to oppose extremism?

...We believe democracy only works when it is safeguarded by a robust system of checks and balances, masses of engaged citizens and an independent judiciary."