[DenisM]

Wikipedia: Sulla played an important role in the long political struggle between the optimates and populares factions at Rome. He was a leader of the former, which sought to maintain the senatorial supremacy against the populist reforms advocated by the latter, headed by Marius.

So I don’t see how Trump is Sulla.

[ceilingcorner]

Don’t get caught up in the specific political allegiances. Trump is Sulla because he proved that a non-politician could take the presidency, but he himself was not the person to take this to its conclusion. I see him as the forerunner of a future populist candidate that will come from outside the political class. In the same way that Sulla was a predecessor of Caesarian action.

Caesar famously said that if Sulla could do it, then he could too.

Weird example but David Lynch the filmmaker said something very similar to this. I can’t find the exact quote, but he said something like “Trump has opened the door to future candidates like him, from outside the political class.”