Free trade was core to both parties. Conservative is perhaps an overwrought term nowadays, but I also don’t like using the “left-right” terminology as it also suffers from lack of specificity.
To which I conclude, this is apparently what the Republicans are offering up as their form of populist policy
Sure I'd agree there. I can get behind Republican/Democrat labels when people are trying to broad brush describe US politics.
The left/right split doesn't make sense here (as you said). Liberal/conservative really doesn't fit either, the waters have gotten too muddied and many arguments I've seen made that should fit under a liberal banner get categorized as Libertarian or even Anarchist.
To which I conclude, this is apparently what the Republicans are offering up as their form of populist policy