No, McKinley was very much a Republican.
He successfully ran for president in 1896 and 1900, both times defeating William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate. Many populists sided with Bryan, as he promised to coin gold and silver for the national currency. McKinley thought the nation would be more financially stable if it was left on the gold standard.
McKinley would have a hard time getting elected today, as he ran a front-porch campaign for both of his successful elections. He relied on Republican strategist Mark Hanna to bring citizen shops to him.
While McKinley was personally charming, he was in no way ready to run a modern campaign, and his message did not reach the nation's poor and working classes. The Populist movement was pro-reform and pro-inflation, two things that McKinley did not believe in for his domestic policy.
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