It’s Never Been ‘America First’, It’s Always Been ‘Trump First’

“America First” was the major and overriding theme of the Trump administration. The America First foreign policy meant a nationalist approach; Trump didn’t consult with allies and unilaterally withdrew American troops from hotspots like Libya and Afghanistan.

In reality Trump was never about “America First” or “Republicans First”, it was always about him and him only. In domestic policies “Trump First” meant that he hired cabinet members, aides and judges bases on their loyalty to him. Trump didn’t want a “team of rivals”, he wanted a team of sycophants.

Trump declared in September that he wanted to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s vacant seat as soon as possible because he believed the 2020 election “would end up in the Supreme Court.”

Trump expected the 2020 presidential race to come right down to the wire, and he expected the Supreme Court Justices he appointed to decide the election in his favor. Even though Trump lost in a landslide he still expected the conservative Supreme Court to overturn the will of the electorate and hand him the presidency.

Trump’s managed to lose in a landslide at the ballot box and over and over again in courts across the country in his futile attempt to stay in power. The two cases that made it to the Supreme Court were summarily dismissed, by the Justices, including the three hand-picked by Trump.

Trump’s campaign to steal the election has undermined our confidence in free and fair elections, divided the country along partisan lines, endangered election officials for having the temerity to do their jobs, and made a mockery of the peaceful transition of power.  

But Trump doesn’t care about the devastation that he’s leaving in his wake, and he will continue his quixotic quest to steal the election until January 20, 2021 out of spite and petulance.