If it were that simple then the likes of Trump wouldn't have the support. There's a "minority" of posters here who repeat the same rhetoric and have no problem in believing false news if it aligns with their views. Obviously out in the real world it's a sizeable group because otherwise there wouldn't be far right political groups who themselves spread false information (though others are guilty of that crime). Trump, the son of an immigrant and married to an immigrant, won votes on his stance on immigration amongst other things. Let's see how France goes...
Oh, I don't dispute that some people are quite vocal, but which of their personal obsessions are bearing fruit?
Has Trump smashed ISIS within 30 days? 100? What about Putin's quest in the near abroad? Bibi? Assad's dad? Assad? Saudis? Saddam? The list literally carries on to include every strongman waving a phallic war-stick for ratings, and contains people who have killed, tortured and spied on people far beyond the European far-right's wettest dreams whilst fighting actual and alleged extremism. Yet it turns out extremism is not as simple as killing and displacing people you don't like, like in a conventional state-on-state war. Even Bush understood that. Most importantly, they have not solved the need for violence to keep their own power base up, nor the violence in their regions of strategic influence, nor at home. So, yes, I'd take a rational rain-check on what Trump, FN, UKIP, EDL, BF, AFD, et al are peddling. It's mostly repackaged hatred, ignorance and hot air. No solutions.
Racism and other mass phobias play a part in modern populism, yes, but they're far from its main component, otherwise the other counter-voices - the SNP in Scotland, the far left in France, old-school social democrats in Germany, Greens in Austria, etc - would not be coming up as much as they have; nor would the support for the far right be wobbling and dropping off, ironically in no small part due to the Trump effect on Europe.
But, hang on. There's a simpler problem with the shock and awe approach: How does electing a totally incompetent, inexperienced disaster on a minority of the popular vote - with foreign interferance and financial muscle directed directly against the interests of the very people they stirred up with panic and hatred - tells one something about popular sentiment and is an answer to extremism in society and the world? How that's an improvement over any of the current systems? It isn't. It's a far worse disaster waiting to happen.
France looks like a straight face off between Macron and Le Pen now, whilst each of the key four candidates was on about 20% of the vote going in, including Melenchon for the far left. I'm not expecting any surprises - FN does not have a broad support base, and like Fillon is entangled in a corruption scandal.