Trump as 'National Liberal'

Instead of 'national conservatism,' Trump’s tariff‑driven industrial policy, energy nationalism, and strong defense fit a historical 'National Liberal' tradition associated with Bismarck‑era Germany and early Republican presidents like Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. The frame separates combative Jacksonian rhetoric from a program of market‑backed national capacity and anti‑redistribution. — Reclassifying Trump’s program this way could reshape coalition analysis, policy expectations, and media narratives beyond culture‑war labels.

Sources

Trump’s New Volcker Shock

Henry Olsen 2026.01.11 86% relevant

The article argues Trump is attempting the same kind of structural, production‑first economic reorientation that the 'National Liberal' framing (notably applied to Trump in the existing idea) describes: tariffs, reshoring, and prioritizing national industrial capacity over consumption. Olsen explicitly compares Trump’s aims to Reagan‑era structural change, matching the existing idea’s claim that Trump’s program looks like a national‑capacity project rather than pure conservatism.

Political Psychology Links

Arnold Kling 2025.10.07 100% relevant

Michael Magoon’s argument that 'Donald Trump is best understood as a National Liberal,' positioning tariffs, industrial nationalism, and energy policy within that lineage.