I don't think there's great wisdom in concentrating power in anyone's hands, be it a government or a transnational corporation. It's a question of necessity. Where else do we go to fix the global problems wrought by libertarian capitalistic enterprise, other than the government.
Of course, republics can degenerate into tyrannies, but we can also use Enlightenment principles to protect the progressive aspects of societies. That's why Trump wasn't able to rule like the king he wanted to be, because of the separation of powers in the American government.
But yes, the immense populism in the US and in other democracies should give neoliberals pause. Just because conservatism is vacuous as a political philosophy doesn't mean liberalism is flawless. I criticize both, as the links below demonstrate.
