Trump Doesn't Put America First

It isn’t possible to put American interests first if you are constantly undermining them to “reassure” a Saudi despot or the apartheid government in Israel.

When Trump has announced his Cabinet nominees and other appointments, he has usually made a point of identifying them as supporters or fighters for America First. When he named Hegseth as his choice for Secretary of Defense, he called him “tough, smart and a true believer in America First.” When he confirmed that he was picking Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor, he said, “Mike has been a strong champion of my America First Foreign Policy agenda….” This is the branding that Trump adopted during his first campaign, and it was clear early on that he had no idea where the phrase came from or what it meant. As far as Trump is concerned, the phrase just means “we will not be ripped off anymore,” but in practice it hasn’t worked that way. Trump doesn’t put America first in his foreign policy, and we shouldn’t let him get away with pretending that he does.