In these troubled times of trade war, William McKinley is a guiding figure often invoked. Starting with his inaugural address on January 20, 2025, Donald Trump lauded one of his distant predecessors, though not the most well-known. "President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent," said the freshly re-elected billionaire in a tribute to the 25th president of the US (from 1897 to 1901), who was nicknamed the "Tariff King" for his protectionist measures aimed at supporting American industry. McKinley first proposed these measures as an elected official from Ohio, and then later from the highest national office. By announcing on April 2, on what he called "Liberation Day," a sharp increase in tariffs targeting many countries, Trump intended to follow in McKinley's footsteps, even if it meant twisting history and rewriting the legend of his predecessor.

The seventh child in a large family, McKinley was born in 1843 into an Ohio Methodist family that supported the abolition of slavery. During the Civil War, he fought for the Union and reached the rank of major before beginning law studies. Very devout, he married and remained by his wife's side throughout his life, both deeply affected by the early deaths of their two daughters. Described as a "businessman" by Trump, he was, above all, a lawyer. During major industrial strikes, he successfully defended coal miners arrested during clashes with strikebreakers, which made him popular with workers. On this occasion, he also befriended Marcus Hanna, a wealthy mine owner and future patron. A member of the Republican Party, McKinley was elected to the House of Representatives in 1876.

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