Recent invocations of Alexander Hamilton's policies by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to support President Trump's trade agenda are being challenged. The argument presented is that Hamilton, the first Treasury Secretary, was not a protectionist in the modern sense.

Instead, Hamilton's 1791 "Report on the Subject of Manufactures" advocated for government support of American industry primarily as a revenue-raising measure and to promote free trade. He proposed subsidies or protective tariffs as a response to potential European trade restrictions on American agricultural exports, not as a primary tool for protectionism.

This re-examination suggests that using Hamilton to justify current protectionist trade policies misinterprets his historical stance. His focus was on ensuring America's economic stability and access to global markets, rather than erecting broad trade barriers.