Oren Cass: Free Trade Can’t Rebuild America. Tariffs Can.

I sat down with Oren Cass, founder of American Compass and former domestic policy advisor to Mitt Romney, to unpack why he believes America’s decades-long pursuit of free trade has backfired—and why tariffs might be the key to reversing the damage. Oren explains how globalization and an over-reliance on market orthodoxy divorced from national interest have hollowed out American industry, eroded national resilience, and disconnected Americans from purpose, family, and community.