President Trump recently invoked the Defense Production Act, ordering General Motors to make ventilators for coronavirus patients. Enacted in 1950 in response to the Korean War, this law gives the federal government more control over industry and production of goods and services deemed necessary for national defense purposes.

This action by Trump, and the silence of many of his supporters, highlights the growing threat to true American conservatism represented by Trump’s brand of populism. Even during conflict, the Defense Production Act is an intentionally authoritarian idea. In basic terms, a government that forces its citizens to provide any product or service against their will is embracing and practicing tyranny. While Trump sees himself as a “wartime president,” the United States is not at war. The challenges we face are great, but they do not justify the destruction of fundamental American values.