Restoring National Sovereignty Through Economic Nationalism: A Return to Founding Principles

In a passionate and sweeping monologue, Dr. Steve Turley outlines what many conservatives and constitutional originalists see as a long-overdue rejection of the globalist economic order and a return to America's founding principles. This shift is not merely economic, it is cultural, civilizational, and deeply constitutional. As he rightly frames it, America is witnessing the collapse of liberal globalism and the rebirth of a sovereign economic and national identity grounded in mercantilism, national security, and self-reliance.

Mercantilism and the Constitution: The Founders' Vision

Dr. Turley’s invocation of mercantilism, a 17th-century economic model where trade is viewed as an extension of national power finds deep resonance with the Founding Fathers' vision for the United States. As outlined in Federalist No. 11, Alexander Hamilton emphasized the importance of a robust commercial policy to secure American interests. He recognized the necessity of protecting nascent industries from foreign powers through tariffs and national economic planning, all aimed at achieving independence.

This is the kind of economic nationalism Donald Trump has reintroduced. It is one that restores the federal government’s Article I, Section 8 power: "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes." Under globalism, this clause has been distorted to facilitate massive offshoring of American jobs. Under mercantilism, it becomes a constitutional vehicle for protecting national industry and ensuring America’s independence from hostile foreign powers.

Globalism's Constitutional Crisis: Delegation and Sovereignty

The Bretton Woods system, as described by Dr. Turley, created supranational institutions like the World Trade Organization and International Monetary Fund which entities that function without any direct constitutional authority. This transfer of economic sovereignty to international bureaucracies undermines the very premise of the U.S. Constitution: that all legislative power resides in Congress (Article I, Section 1). The rise of globalism has resulted in unelected international bodies dictating trade policy, thereby bypassing the democratic will of the American people.

Justice Clarence Thomas has consistently warned about such extraconstitutional governance. In his concurring opinion in Department of Transportation v. Association of American Railroads, Thomas observed that delegating core governmental functions to unaccountable entities is incompatible with the Constitution. Globalism, in this sense, is not just economically damaging;it is constitutionally illegitimate.

Tariffs and National Security: A Constitutional Imperative

Turley’s focus on tariffs and their national security implications highlights another core constitutional principle: the duty of government to "provide for the common defence." If the United States cannot produce its own pharmaceuticals, steel, or ships, it cannot defend itself in wartime. The Framers understood that sovereignty includes economic self-sufficiency. They would have been appalled by a system where America's primary military and health needs are met by potential adversaries like China.

Trump’s tariff policies are not protectionist in the pejorative sense, they are patriotic, prudent, and constitutional. They ensure the survival of the Republic by preventing economic entanglements from becoming national vulnerabilities.

Civilizational Spheres and Federalism

One of the most fascinating insights Turley provides is the rise of “economic civilizationism,” where trade blocs are reorganizing along civilizational lines: North America, Eastern Europe, East Asia. This is entirely consistent with the original federal structure of the United States: a decentralized union of states with shared values and a common destiny.

Trump’s efforts to build a North American trade sphere with Canada and Mexico, anchored not in globalist abstraction but in reciprocal tariffs and economic cooperation, mirror the original constitutional compact between sovereign states. It's a model of federalism writ large on the international stage.

Globalism’s Demise and the Renewal of the American Republic

Globalism was always destined to fail. It undermined national self-government, hollowed out the American manufacturing base, and imposed alien cultural values under the guise of economic cooperation. Dr. Turley rightly notes that globalism has become a weapon of woke ideological coercion, exploited by Western elites to enforce cultural conformity.

But the Constitution provides the remedy. A return to limited government, national sovereignty, and constitutional commerce powers is not just a policy choice. It is a return to first principles. As James Madison wrote in Federalist No. 45, “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined.” That includes the power to protect our economy from globalist overreach and defend our way of life from foreign entanglements.

In the end... A Constitutional Revival

Dr. Turley’s vision aligns closely with the conservative legal movement’s call to restore the Constitution as it was originally understood. Economic nationalism, reciprocal trade, and self-sufficiency are not just prudent strategies—they are constitutional imperatives. In rejecting liberal globalism, we are not turning away from modernity; we are turning back to the enduring wisdom of our Founding Fathers.

The liberal order is dying. What comes next is a restored Republic. One that is strong, sovereign, and rooted in the Constitution.

The recent loss in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race stung, no doubt but the bigger picture tells a vastly different story. Far from being a sign of weakness, it was a wake-up call for targeted action in one battleground state, while the GOP racks up win after win elsewhere. As Dr. Steve Turley laid out, Republicans are winning the war, even if we lost a battle in Wisconsin. Here's why the conservative movement is still surging and why the Democrats should be worried.

1. 6 of 9 Special Elections: GOP Dominates Post-Trump Announcement

Since President Trump declared his candidacy on November 5, the GOP has won 6 out of 9 special elections nationwide. These weren’t minor races, they spanned congressional and state levels, reinforcing that the MAGA coalition is alive and thriving.

Turley calls it like it is: “We’re the Super Bowl champs. We just lost a scrimmage game.” That perspective matters: big picture, the Right is still ahead on the scoreboard.

2. Florida Is Now Deep Red – Massive Wins, Even with Low Turnout

In two special congressional elections, Republicans Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis won by double digits, even as turnout was down by 60% from the November general.

Democrats threw more than $10 million at these races and still lost badly. Florida, once the quintessential swing state, has become solidly Republican thanks to the post-COVID “leftugees” who fled blue-state lockdowns.

The message from Florida? Republicans are winning without needing high turnout—imagine what happens with it.

3. Wisconsin Loss Masks a Huge Conservative Victory: Voter ID Amendment PASSES

Yes, Brad Schimel lost the Supreme Court race but Wisconsin voters passed a constitutional amendment to require voter ID, and they passed it overwhelmingly: 60% support.

Even Elon Musk called it “the most important vote of the night.” Why? Because voter ID has long-term implications that go beyond any single race. Polls consistently show that 60–80% of voters across both parties support voter ID laws. And now, in Wisconsin, that’s locked into their constitution.

This is a foundational win. With voter ID secured, future elections in Wisconsin just got harder for Democrats to manipulate.

4. Understanding the Wisconsin Shift and What It Means

While Wisconsin has swung back and forth in presidential elections, off-year and state-level races have trended center-left. Why?

• Mass GOP voter exodus: Many conservatives left the state during COVID.

• No partisan early vote tracking: Unlike Florida, Wisconsin doesn’t report partisan ballot returns.

• Low GOP turnout: Rural conservatives didn’t show up.

• Dem + Independent alignment: Swing voters moved heavily left in this race.

Still, conservatives won on the core issue, voter ID, and that’s what will matter long-term. Plus, the 2028 presidential turnout will be a different game entirely, with a MAGA candidate on the ballot.

5. Building the Machine: GOTV Must Be the Focus

Turley echoed what strategists like Rich Baris and Scott Presler have said for years: the GOP must build state-level ground games to turn out the new Republican base. Today’s GOP is the party of low-propensity voters, the same working-class folks Democrats used to rely on.

That means:

• Investing in ballot chasing where legal

• Building state GOP turnout machines

• Targeting independents with winning national issues (like voter ID, border security, inflation)

Until that infrastructure is in place, off-year elections like Wisconsin will remain vulnerable. But the momentum and coalition strength are clearly on the GOP’s side.

6. Grassroots Leaders Like Scott Presler Are Filling the Ground Game Gap

While some state GOP organizations still lag behind, conservative grassroots leaders are stepping up and doing the work. Scott Presler has become a household name for his relentless voter registration, door-knocking, and turnout efforts. But he’s not doing it alone. Cliff Maloney is mobilizing liberty-minded youth through Young Americans for Liberty, while Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point Action is building state-by-state infrastructure aimed at ballot harvesting where legal and getting out the vote. These grassroots patriots are filling the void left by weak GOP machines and they’re proving that the conservative movement doesn’t need permission from party elites to win.

7. The Blueprint for 2024 Is Already Working

Here’s what conservatives should take away:

• 6 of 9 special elections won

• Voter ID wins in a swing state

• Ballot security measures in general like voter ID are gaining traction

• Florida is locked in deep red

• Democrats wasting millions on failed races

• GOP coalition stronger than ever

• National issues like inflation, border security, and parental rights dominate the conversation

The Wisconsin loss was a setback but also a signal. A strong national agenda and a Trump-led ticket will bring conservatives back out in force. Add in a functional ground game, and the path to victory becomes clear.

Final Word: We’re Still the Champs

The Wisconsin court race was a reminder, not a defeat. With voter ID locked into law, 6 special election wins under our belt, and deep-red strongholds like Florida holding firm, the GOP has every reason to be confident.

This is the moment to regroup, organize, and push harder—not panic.

We’re still the champs. Let’s act like it.

The political establishment is stunned. The legacy media is scrambling. And the polling class? They’re quietly panicking.

In a development few thought possible, Donald J. Trump is not just surviving the political gauntlet of 2024 — he’s thriving. According to Rich Baris, the most accurate pollster of the last election cycle, Trump is experiencing a level of sustained approval and favorability that’s defying political precedent and sending shockwaves through both parties.

Trump’s Approval Defies the Odds

Despite relentless legal attacks, media smears, and a deeply polarized nation, Trump’s approval rating sits between +2 to +4 net positive, with a recent private poll landing at +3. At his peak, Baris notes, Trump soared to an astounding +18 during his "honeymoon phase" after announcing his return to the political arena.

“This is unprecedented,” said Baris. “For any Republican president (let alone a political outsider like Trump) to maintain this kind of sustained approval is almost unthinkable.”

A Favorability Flip That Has Democrats Rattled

Even more stunning is a historic inversion in Trump’s numbers. For the first time, Trump’s favorability now slightly exceeds his approval rating, a reversal of the long-standing dynamic where voters might approve of his job performance but express personal disdain.

“This tells us something seismic is happening,” explained Baris. “Not only are people acknowledging his effectiveness, they’re beginning to like him and that is a nightmare scenario for Democrats.”

The Reluctant Voter: Still Trump’s Trump Card

For years, Trump has wielded a rare political advantage: the ability to win over voters who don’t personally like him but vote for him anyway. Baris estimates 10–15% of Trump’s support comes from voters in this category — the so-called “reluctant voters.”

“They’ll tell you, ‘I can’t stand the tweets,’ or ‘I don’t like the way he talks,’” said Baris. “But then they say, ‘He was a damn good president.’ That pragmatic loyalty has always been his secret weapon.”

A Realignment in Real Time

Baris and Turley highlighted what appears to be an ongoing massive political realignment. Key demographic groups, once solidly Democratic, are breaking toward Trump in numbers that would’ve been unthinkable just a few cycles ago.

Among the shifts:

• Young men under 35, especially Gen Z males, are now among Trump’s most favorable age brackets.

• Black and Hispanic voters, particularly men, are showing consistent erosion in support for Democrats and a growing openness to Trump’s populist message.

• Working-class and non-white voters, disillusioned with Democratic leadership, are resonating more with Trump’s rhetoric of national strength, economic opportunity, and cultural tradition.

Trump’s alignment with figures like Elon Musk and his resonance in influencer and tech culture has also helped shift perceptions among younger voters, many of whom no longer look to Hollywood or legacy media for guidance.

GOP Struggles to Harness Trump’s Momentum

While Trump’s political engine is running full throttle, the GOP’s infrastructure is still sputtering. In Pennsylvania’s 36th district (which Trump carried by 15 points) Republicans lost a recent special election, a defeat Baris blames squarely on local party incompetence.

“There’s MAGA energy out there,” he said. “But the Republican Party isn’t always capable or even willing to harness it.”

He praised Florida and North Carolina as models of MAGA-oriented party governance, singling out Michael Whatley (newly elevated within the RNC) as someone who “gets it.”

Polling Establishment in Collapse

Baris also took a victory lap at the expense of legacy polling outfits like FiveThirtyEight, which has collapsed under new leadership. He slammed what he calls the “election mafia”, a club of pollsters who reward consensus over accuracy and penalize independent analysts like himself for breaking with the narrative.

“They gave me an R+7 lean just because I wasn’t off by seven points to the left like everyone else,” said Baris. “They punish you for being right if it goes against their ideology.”

Turnout Trends Turning Upside Down

In a dramatic shift, high voter turnout is no longer a guaranteed win for Democrats. In states like Wisconsin, red counties are showing turnout spikes, and it’s not clear Democrats can make up the difference.

“Normies are voting,” Baris quipped. “And normal people are Republicans now.”

He noted that low-propensity voters, once the core of Democrat victories, are increasingly outnumbered by consistent Trump-aligned voters who are turning out in bigger and bigger numbers.

Conclusion: The Realignment is Real

What we’re witnessing may be one of the most consequential political shifts in American history. Trump is attracting not just Republicans, but moderates, independents, young men, and minorities, the very groups Democrats long considered their firewall.

“This isn’t a statistical blip,” Baris insisted. “It’s a political realignment.”

And if it continues, the media’s long-held assumptions (about voter behavior, about demographics, about Donald Trump himself) are not just wrong. They’re obsolete.