Assume, for purposes of argument, that Trump’s protectionism in the White House turns out to be far more bark than bite. How will the Democrats respond, in light of their desire to win back the votes of the white working class? Will they attack him for being too much, or too little, of a protectionist?
Protectionism doesn’t poll well with the blue base. In addition, everything that Trump touches is going to be toxic with Democratic primary voters, who will associate closed borders with bigotry. As a result, my guess is that the Democratic platform in 2020 will contain a nod towards the use of existing tools to promote fair trade, but will otherwise reject Trump’s “America First” rhetoric.