Bernardi: Australia's Donald Trump?

Conservative senator Cory Bernardi has likened himself to Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump.

After having his office trashed by political protesters last week, the Liberal senator has vowed to keep fighting for the interests of the silent majority and "forgotten people".

"The same thing is happening in the USA as Donald Trump challenges the status quo - his rhetoric doesn't fit the mould but it is resonating strongly with a disillusioned populace," he said in a newsletter published on Monday.

Mr Trump isn't Senator Bernardi's preferred choice for the Republican nomination - Ted Cruz being his ideal candidate.

But the American businessman is the latest extension of what the South Australian backbencher has been warning about for years.

The forgotten people will choose a different path unless the mainstream parties connect with them.

"It's a global phenomenon and we would be foolish to think it won't emerge in Australia," Senator Bernardi said.