After former President Donald Trump selected market skeptic Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) to be his running mate, many are asking if Republicans still believe in free markets. However, it is just as important to ask if they ever did.

When Trump ran in 2016, he bucked the Republican consensus around free trade and was more willing to embrace populist ideas on economic issues. However, with a few exceptions, he governed as a fairly traditional economic conservative.