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Would Ronald Reagan recognize today鈥檚 Republican Party?

On fiscal issues like tax and budget cuts, probably. On foreign policy, not so much.

Former President Reagan, champion of a muscular America, would have been mystified by the current GOP split over Ukraine.

The party establishment, including many Senate Republicans, remain Reaganesque in support of aiding Ukraine. But the top candidates for the GOP presidential nomination, former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, say the United States has no vital interest in that fight.

Governor DeSantis went so far as to call Ukraine鈥檚 struggle against a Russian invasion a 鈥渢erritorial dispute鈥� in a statement this week.

Mr. Trump and Governor DeSantis may have their fingers on the pulse of supporters. finds just 42% of Republicans support sending U.S. aid to Ukraine, as opposed to 79% of Democrats and 60% of independents.

And long before Mr. Reagan鈥檚 presidency, the American right was skeptical about foreign intervention. The slogan 鈥淎merica First鈥� originated with conservatives opposed to aiding allies at the beginning of World War II.

But that isolationist approach was an 鈥渆lectoral cul-de-sac鈥� for the GOP, this week. It called Governor DeSantis鈥� statement on the issue his 鈥渇irst big mistake.鈥�

Other party presidential hopefuls were similarly harsh. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the Florida governor was just 鈥渃opying鈥� Mr. Trump. Former Vice President Mike Pence said, 鈥淚 would say anyone who thinks Vladimir Putin will stop at Ukraine is wrong.鈥�

Ukraine may thus be a lively issue in the 2024 race.