From Reagan's Fusionism to Trump's Populist Surge: The Right's Ongoing Transformation

In a detailed interview, Stephanie Slade outlines the historical roots of fusionism, a doctrine merging free-market liberalism, moral virtue, and limited state power, which underpinned Ronald Reagan’s ascent in 1980. While Reagan attempted to enact these ideas, practical politics forced compromises, such as tax cuts paired with rising debt and selective trade measures. After decades of the establishment applying the same playbook, accumulating anomalies—like the 2008 bailouts—eroded confidence, paving the way for Donald Trump’s 2016 insurgency.

Slade notes that the movement has now entered a “mopping-up” phase, where former iconoclasts become policy technicians grappling with tariffs, immigration enforcement, and administrative reform. She distinguishes between the fading fusionist strand, still present among many Republicans, and the newer “dissident right,” which favors a strong ruler and diverges philosophically. Though fringe figures like Bronze Age Pervert and Adrian Vermeule attract attention, polling suggests most Americans remain classically liberal, hinting at a possible right-wing recalibration.