JUST days before the most momentous US presidential election in recent history the race between Democrat, Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican, former President Donald Trump is virtually tied. The outcome of this election will have a far-reaching impact within and outside the US. While the two candidates have very different views on several key policy areas, such as the economy, taxes, immigration, abortion, healthcare and law and order, nothing is more consequential than Trump’s promise to pursue the ‘America First’ policy if elected. He raised this slogan during his first presidential campaign in 2016, too. Trump is not the first one to tout the ‘America First’ policy.
The ’America First’ slogan was first introduced by the anti-war organization, America First Committee, founded in 1940 to keep the US out of international conflicts and focus inward on building the economy after the recovery from the Great Depression of the 1930s. While the war was raging in Europe the US remained neutral in WW II until Japan attacked Pearl Harbour in December 1941. Since then, the US has played a leading role in world affairs. It was the key player in the creation of the United Nations and the formation of the NATO alliance which became part of the American-led new world order. The US also established international financial institutions such as the IMF and World Bank to promote global trade. ‘America First’ supporters continued their efforts to pull the US out of world affairs but did not get much traction in the Cold War era.
In the post-WWII era, US engagement at the international level continued to grow under both Democratic and Republican Administrations, resulting in the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 after a long Cold War. Meanwhile, the ‘America First’ Movement took a back seat until Donald Trump appeared on the political scene for the 2016 presidential campaign. He fought this election on the ‘America First’ slogan and won.
During his first term in the Oval Office from 2017 to 2021 Trump followed on his promise and pulled the US out of several multi-lateral agreements such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Iran Nuclear Deal and the Open Skies Treaty. More significantly, Trump had threatened to pull the US out of NATO unless the member nations increased their contributions to the organization. He relented on his threat after the member nations agreed to a schedule to gradually increase their contributions.
This time Trump is raising the ‘America First’ slogan with even more vigour. By ‘America First’ Trump means no foreign aid, trade protectionism, lower taxes and restrictions on immigration. He has made it clear that he will end the US military aid to Ukraine thereby forcing Ukraine to accept the terms of Russia to end the war. He has promised massive tariffs on all imports targeting China, Japan, South Korea and the EU. Trump has been threatening the mass deportation of millions of illegal immigrants.
Harris on the other hand has pledged to continue the decades-old US policy of global engagement through multilateral alliances, treaties, trade agreements, foreign aid and refugee protection programs. Proponents of the US leadership in global affairs point to good things that happened since the end of WW II such as no WW III, the rebuilding of war-torn Europe and Japan, the introduction and expansion of global trade, cross-border investment, an increase in income and quality of life and eradication of many health and nutrition problems worldwide. The critics of the US meddling in world affairs point to atrocities inflicted by the US, its brutal use of force to impose its will on others, its dominant role in many wars such as in Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq and numerous conflicts worldwide. The US routinely overthrew democratically elected governments if it did not like their leaders. Instead, it installed and supported many ruthless dictators around the world. For millions across the globe, the US meddling has brought nothing but misery and despair.
Whether Trump wins or lose she has brought back the ‘America First’ slogan front and centre and it will not go away soon. A Trump win will be a game-changer at the international level and will force many countries to seek new security arrangements. It will likely create a trade war and economic chaos. A mass deportation of illegal immigrants will create a humanitarian crisis. A Harris win will not necessarily mean business as usual. Democrats will be wise to pay attention to the alienation of millions of ‘America First’ supporters who feel left behind in the US’s quest to maintain its dominant role in the world.
—The author is based in Canada and writes on international and political affairs.
