Conservative analyst explains how Trump killed 'America First'

20 June

U.S. President Donald Trump, next to Ivanka Trump's husband Jared Kushner, salutes as a U.S. flag is raised on a new flagpole installed on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Neoconservative writer Bill Kristol says one of Trump’s most effective campaign slogans has had a good run, but its most visible champion has apparently ditched it.

“… The promise of ‘America First’ foreign policy is dead,” said Kristol, writing for The Bulwark. “‘America First’ would tell you the whole [Iran/Israel] fight should be none of our business. An ‘America First’ administration would warn both parties not to attack our homeland or our people. That’s it. … But that’s not what’s happening.”

Trump brought the “America First” slogan to prominence in all three of his presidential campaigns, but he told Atlantic reporter Michael Scherer that the slogan now means whatever he says it does.

“Well, considering that I’m the one that developed ‘America First,’ and considering that the term wasn’t used until I came along, I think I’m the one that decides that,” Trump told Scherer. “For those people who say they want peace—you can’t have peace if Iran has a nuclear weapon. So for all of those wonderful people who don’t want to do anything about Iran having a nuclear weapon—that’s not peace.”

Kristol, who was founder of The Weekly Standard, pointed out that Trump has been reluctant to help the nation of Ukraine against its invading neighbor Russia, but claims he stands behind Taiwan against China. Kristol also says Trump seeking “deeper ties with the Gulf States” is another indicator.

“[The administration] wants to move away from NATO, but is happy to intervene in European politics, supporting, for example, the extreme right-wing AfD in the recent German elections,” Kristol said. “The fact is, for all the talk about rejecting ‘globalists,’ the experience of the Trump administration is one of intervening, repeatedly, in global affairs. There is no Fortress America possible in the 21st century. ‘America First’ is dead, if it ever really existed.”

Right wing commentator and “America First” enthusiast Tucker Carlson recently broke with Trump over U.S. intervention in Iran as well.

“I am saying this because I’m really afraid that my country’s gonna be weakened by this, I think we’re gonna see the end of American empire. … But it’s also going to end, I believe, Trump’s presidency,” Carlson said in an interview with MAGA leader Steve Bannon.

Trump reacted badly to the criticism from one of his most loyal followers: “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that, “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Kristol dismisses the “America First” slogan as “an attempt to short-circuit the serious debate we need to have about our foreign policy.” He said it appears Trump has dismissed it as well.

“[A]s the Israel-Iran crisis shows, one way or the other, we’re going to be involved,” he added. “We are all globalists now.”

Read the full Bulwark report at this link.

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