America First (policy)

America First refers to a populist political theory in the United States that emphasizes the fundamental notion of "putting America first", which generally involves disregarding global affairs and focusing solely on domestic policy. This generally denotes policies of isolationism, American nationalism, and protectionist trade.^[1]

The term was coined by President Woodrow Wilson^[2] in his 1916 campaign that pledged to keep America neutral in World War I. A more isolationist approach gained prominence in the interwar period (1918–1939); it was also advocated by the America First Committee, a non-interventionist pressure group against U.S. entry into World War II.^[3]

Decades later, Donald Trump used the slogan in his 2016 presidential campaign and presidency (2017–2021), emphasizing the U.S.'s withdrawal from international treaties and organizations in the administration's foreign policy.^[4][5][6] Media critics have derided Trump's use of the America First policy as "America Alone".^[7][8][9]