In a surprising and bold move, Ontario’s provincial government has stepped into American political waters, attempting to stir division within the Republican Party over tariff policies. This strategic maneuver is aimed at leveraging the internal split within the GOP, where opinions diverge between a pro-free trade stance and a pro-tariff one. Ontario’s leaders are hoping to capitalize on these differences in the midst of ongoing trade disputes with the United States.

This brings us to the crux of the tariff debate, primarily viewed here as a political matter rather than an economic one. Historically, the Republican Party has had a complex relationship with tariffs. The roots go back to Abraham Lincoln, who integrated them from the Whig Party’s “American System,” which he supported strongly. The GOP further entrenched its pro-tariff stance in 1896 under the leadership of William McKinley, a figure President Trump has often praised.

During the early 20th century, Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover continued the pro-tariff tradition, despite an earlier oversight on my part where I mistakenly characterized Harding and Coolidge as free trade advocates. The significant shift in Republican tariff policy came in 1952 when President Dwight Eisenhower firmly endorsed free trade. Since Eisenhower, the GOP’s presidential figures have consistently advocated for free trade, with the notable exception of Donald Trump, who has revived the pro-tariff discourse within the party.

The historical GOP was a big fan of tariffs.  Abraham Lincoln brought them over from the “American System” of the Whig party, of which he was a prominent proponent.  In 1896, the GOP doubled down on them under William McKinley, whom President Trump has praised.  

After the Woodrow Wilson presidency, Presidents Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover all favored them (in my earlier column, I mistakenly labeled the first two as pro-free trade).  Only in 1952 did the great GOP switch on tariffs occur, when President Dwight Eisenhower came out firmly for free trade.  Since then, all GOP presidents and presidential candidates have been rhetorical free traders, except for Donald Trump.