The definition of conservatism under Donald Trump has become malleable, leading to confusion about what its defining principles are. Increasingly, policies antithetical to traditional conservative values are considered conservative simply because modern proponents identify them as such. But conservatism is not a veneer or a mere feeling. It is a commitment to a set of inviolable principles that support and defend the institutions that drive economic growth and prosperity. “America First” is a popular slogan, but it is overwhelmingly driving a policy agenda that is undermining the very principles that made America great.
Conservatism under Trump has come to mean political expediency, where the ends justify the means, even compromising foundational Constitutional rights. It has come to mean a willingness to abandon core principles of the American founding and key drivers of economic growth. It has become satisfied with the shallow rhetoric of fiscal conservatism, even if it substitutes for real spending reform.
While the left is equally to blame for the emergence of runaway executive authority, true conservatism doesn’t engage in whataboutism to justify further encroachments. Restraint, driven by the ancient adage not to wield a sword you don’t want to be used against you, as well as a healthy respect for our foundational values, is a core tenet of conservatism. Conservatism is principled in that it extends and defends these sacred rights for those who may not deserve, or uphold them, themselves.
Consider Kilmar Abrego Garcia, deported to El Salvador as a terrorist without a formal gang conviction, violating the 5th Amendment’s due process clause. The Supreme Court and lower courts have consistently interpreted this to apply to illegals, with the only exception being illegals with little or no connection to the United States, such as those caught while crossing the border. Even the legality of Trump using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport gang members as terrorists has been challenged by a Trump-appointed Federal Judge.
The implications that Trump can send any illegal–and he has also expressed an interest in sending Americans as well–to foreign prisons without due process with no recourse, is concerning (just as was Obama’s use of a drone attack on an American citizen). The Supreme Court agreed in a 9-0 decision, one that Trump is openly defying. Even if modern conservatives disagree with the extension of this privilege to an illegal, they will need to work to amend the Constitution. Ignoring it is not an option for conservatives, who should not engage in selective fealty to the rule of law.
There are many other Constitutional concerns Trump is engaging in, including allegations of accepting bribes indirectly through his cryptocurrency, Trump’s use of executive orders to target the law firm Perkins Cole, Trump’s challenge of birthright citizenship, and using the IRS to threaten non-profits. Conservatives should be deeply concerned about these egregious and widespread threats to our Constitutional principles. They may soon regret these powers in the hands of an unrestrained progressive.
Conservatives have also long been supporters of free markets. In fact, it was a key principle of our founding. One of the complaints that our Founding Fathers made to King George III in the Declaration of Independence was that his majesty was “cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world.” Ben Franklin wrote that “it is best for every country to leave its trade entirely free from all encumbrances."
Despite over 1,800 economists, including many considered to be on the right, objecting to tariffs based on decades of theoretical and empirical evidence, the Trump administration has persisted in pursuing them based on three economically rejected and inconsistent goals. Trump continues to promote a deeply and fundamentally flawed understanding of a trade deficit. There are objective facts in economics, and one of those is that a trade deficit implies a surplus of foreign investment. Adding up all the mutually beneficial transactions that Americans make with foreigners cannot possibly sum to a net loss, even if foreigners decide to invest in the United States rather than primarily buy our goods and services (many of them simply are too poor to buy our goods and services).
Trade is a key driver of economic growth and prosperity, and a key principle of America’s founding. Even if there were economic benefits to tariffs, a Conservative position would still consider the violation of freedom that occurs when government bureaucrats are allowed to meddle in the private transactions of individuals with government coercion.
The Trump administration’s commitment to fiscal conservatism also appears to be rhetoric unmatched by action. While Trump frequently gives voice to fiscal conservatism and even promises to balance the federal budget, he has presented no realistic proposals to seriously cut spending. To the contrary, his recent budget, combined with proposed tax cuts, suggests a drastic increase in deficits. The DOGE initiative promised to slash government waste but delivered indiscriminate cuts that failed to address serious spending issues like entitlements.
Conservatism is far more than the trappings of patriotic slogans, pageantry, or even giant American flags. You can’t dress up expedient lawlessness, protectionism, and fiscal recklessness in conservative garb and call it conservatism. Conservatism is a commitment to the traditional values and institutions that drive economic growth and prosperity. This includes the rule of law, free trade, and fiscal conservatism, protected by reason and restraint. These are the true conservative identity.