Where Have the 'Don't Tread on Me' Republicans Gone?

 Many conservatives are embracing big government, from police-state immigration tactics to socialist economic policies.

by Steven Greenhut, Reason, 1.23.2026 - ... There's no hope for anyone cheering, but "responsible" conservatives have a rationale for defending these actions: It's better than having Democrats in charge. Had, say, Kamala Harris won the presidency, she would have imposed socialistic policies, they say. That's probably true, but have you noticed the latest policy plans from Donald Trump? His economic proposals echo the Democratic platform. ... 

First, he plans to cap interest rates on credit cards at 10%. ... 

Second, he said he's "immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes…People live in homes, not corporations." ... 

Third, he's embraced various policies that let the federal government interfere with the governance of private companies. He has proposed a cap on compensation for CEOs of defense contractors. He has called for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which are government-sponsored enterprises, to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds from the private market to potentially lower mortgage rates. He has muscled private companies such as Intel to sell portions of their companies to the government. This gives the president and the feds power to dictate corporate policy—a longstanding goal of democratic socialists.

Fourth, the president is expanding handouts to individual Americans. He's proposed $2,000 tariff-dividend checks, which is reminiscent of Joe Biden's ... 

These are the types of easy-button leftist solutions that always make matters worse because they interfere with the workings of the free market. (read it all)

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