You’re right. If the federal government were held to strict Constitutional standards, each state would be exactly as he describes.
Thanks. Not to “monday morning quarterback” too much, but I think the concept of “united statehood” ended around WWI - we were doing so damned well that we had to go to war.
Which, the Fed with its new legs, became the mechanism for the “Progressive Era”, urged on by lobbying and a bored judiciary.
Then came the “New Deal” and WW2. IMHO, we have, as conservatives, a target to shoot for. It was Republicans who ended slavery, as it is, well, blatantly Unconstitutional.