Signs of the improbable began to reveal themselves early in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. In New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump were emerging as unlikely frontrunners. During several trips to New Hampshire, in January and February, it became clear to me that Sanders and Trump were breaking through with voters because they sounded "authentic." They did not speak like the professional politicians in the race and that made them more believable.
Authentic is not necessarily the same as truthful. In this context, authentic is a willingness to speak your mind even at the risk of offending a large part of the audience.