Older economic models might overstate the costs of protection and understate its structural impact.
When Buchanan campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination in the 1990s, he made tariffs a central pillar of his platform. He warned that unchecked globalization would hollow out American industry, erode the middle class, and leave the nation vulnerable to economic dependence. His message resonated — he won the New Hampshire primary in 1996 and reshaped the conversation within the GOP.
So, where would the U.S. be today, economically, if it had adopted Buchanan’s ideas sooner — before Trump’s return to the White House?
