Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She is a frequent opinion contributor to CNN and The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. The opinions expressed in this commentary are her own.

President Trump has shown his hand. Over two years into his presidency, he has proven that he governs in the model of the 21st-century populists who have taken office across the world. As the 2020 election draws closer, he will intensify his attacks on the Federal Reserve and its chairman, Jerome Powell. And his pressure will become far more determined if economic growth shows signs of slowing.

We know this because Trump is following the playbook of other authoritarian populists: embracing nationalist rhetoric and policies, developing an us-vs.-them narrative ahead of the elections and undercutting the independence of the Central Bank.

American democracy has deeper roots; it is stronger than in other countries where it has come under assault. But we can see many of the same patterns replicated by other nationalist populists with authoritarian tendencies. The model requires discrediting independent media, demonizing critics, politicizing the judiciary and assaulting the very notion of truth.

Attacking the independence of the central bank is a more arcane element of the strategy, but it's also vital. And precisely because it is less "sexy," it attracts less attention than, say, calling the media the " enemy of the people ," or suggesting that opposition critics of color should " go back " to their countries. But that makes it no less important.

Central bank independence does not guarantee prosperity, but it makes it more likely that crucial monetary policy is designed with the intention of doing what is best for the economy and what is best for the country.