Put America First: But First, In What? Chaos?
People in the Sun, 1963 by Edward Hopper Via EdwardHopper.net
Less than two months have passed since Donald Trump took office as the 45th/47th president of the United States, and already numerous executive orders have been signed, along with a series of television moments worthy of a bad reality show.
Let’s not fool ourselves—the United States holds tremendous global power and is currently seeking to create instability in a world that, without a doubt, could use some adjustments—or restructuring altogether. The question is whether this is the kind of adjustment that benefits everyone, including non-wealthy Americans. "America is back" is a phrase both Trump and Biden have used, but which America are they referring to? The answer to the question is more important now than ever, and it’s good that the answer won’t come from the same opposing white men as always, despite being the ones vocalizing it.
This is by no means a comprehensive summary—much is left out— nor is it an overview. It is, rather, an attempt to briefly illustrate that the dichotomy between domestic and international affairs does not exist, that everything is interconnected, and that what impacts one sector, such as finance, also affects others, like the social and cultural spheres.
Some of Trump's policies have deepened inflation, which is also tied to the country he inherited and his financial strategy, including trade tariffs, massive tax cuts, and lower interest rates—all of which will only add inflationary pressure. On top of this, there’s the rising national debt, potential pension cuts, and the impact on the Medicare budget.
One of the most talked-about issues in this field has been the tariffs that Trump has labeled "reciprocal" on Canada, Mexico, and China. However, calling them reciprocal does not make them truly reciprocal, and it distorts the understanding of how tariffs work and the challenges their implementation would bring.
An illustrative example of this so-called reciprocity is known as The Chicken War, which demonstrates how the negative consequences of international tariffs can last for decades.
Along with what has been called “reciprocity,” the concept of a common enemy is also introduced: one of the justifications for imposing these tariffs on neighboring countries is that neither Canada nor Mexico, supposedly, are assisting the United States in its fight against the major threat, fentanyl. Even though the tariffs have been paused for now, and it seems that the diplomacy of leaders like Mexico’s President Sheinbaum is bearing fruit, this also raises the question of how much of what Trump says is feasible and how much is a smokescreen.
Nevertheless, international affairs also bring to light other underlying issues that hint at even greater systemic problems. For example, after delivering a heartfelt message to the American and Canadian people, Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, declared himself a Zionist. Reality is not divided into good and bad, nor into foreign and domestic, aliens and citizens. Imperialism, rampant capitalism, inequality, and white supremacy define the present and seem to be the standard for most nations.
Even so, it is unprecedented for the U.S. administration to stage such a shameful spectacle from the White House while sidelining its longstanding allies—particularly NATO and the European Union—in closed discussions with Russia.
Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and current senator from Michigan, delivering a response to Trump’s address to Congress, stated, “As a Cold War kid, I'm thankful it was Reagan and not Trump in office in the 1980s.” Trump spent more than 100 minutes—the longest address in history—giving a speech in which he bent a few important facts. “Trump would have lost us the Cold War,” said Slotkin.
The Paris Agreement has been signed by every country in the world except Yemen, Libya, and Iran. And now, for the second time, the United States. During his first term, Trump also withdrew from the deal. The fact that he is doing it again, after Biden rejoined during his presidency, is significant. In the order Trump signed, it states:
“In recent years, the United States has purported to join international agreements and initiatives that do not reflect our country’s values or our contributions to the pursuit of economic and environmental objectives. Moreover, these agreements steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people.” THE WHITE HOUSE, January 20, 2025.
But the reality, again, is slightly different. The agreement was not signed so that the U.S. could finance poor countries, but to ensure a viable world in the long run. Additionally, withdrawing from the agreement makes the U.S. seem like an unreliable partner, which is no small matter. Such a move has serious consequences. For example, an article from American Progress states that “The Milei administration’s reevaluation of Argentina’s position in the Paris Agreement, coupled with Milei’s meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago during the November climate negotiations, highlights how the United States’ withdrawal could embolden other nations to follow suit.”
The attack on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs is alarming. The idea that these programs exclude talented individuals and that hiring should be based solely on "merit" is a distortion of what DEI initiatives truly represent and why they are essential, both socially and economically.
However, evidence shows that DEI initiatives had not harmed white men and had, instead, benefited society at large.
“Track Record of DEI Initiatives From 2014 to 2024 – Didn’t Harm White Men”
In other domestic policies, the administration has launched multiple attacks on trans rights. First, executive orders have been issued banning federally funded hospitals from providing medical care to trans individuals under threat of losing government funding. “Anti-trans hysteria, then, should be understood as a function of the Trump administration’s epistemic violence—its mission to turn lies into policy and suppress truth. It is as much a lie that Hunter Schafer is a man as it is that Donald Trump won the 2020 election, that vaccines cause autism, or that climate change isn’t real,” says Donegan in The Guardian.
Secondly, visas have been revoked for trans athletes planning to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. As The Guardian reports: "Unlike regular visa denials, this section implies a lifetime ban from the United States, with limited options for exemption."
Immigration restrictions are also tightening. A new Golden Visa has been announced, granting U.S. residency to those who pay five million dollars, while at the same time, Trump plans to eliminate birthright citizenship and revoke student visas based on a flawed AI system that flags individuals as Hamas sympathizers.
Even if some of these measures prove unenforceable, they are already fostering a hostile environment for immigrants and non-wealthy citizens. Initially, the government claimed mass deportations would target criminals, but it didn’t take long for "criminal" to stop meaning someone who had committed a crime and instead just meaning "undocumented immigrant."
With so many twists and turns, it might seem like we are witnessing not politics but the unfolding of a television drama. Yet we cannot forget that what is at stake is the global order and our future. The very principles by which Americans live are being questioned. And while we may attempt to categorize issues into finance, healthcare, international policy, or domestic affairs, the truth is that everything is interconnected.
Trump says “Put America First,” but first in what? Chaos?
Yet, we have been here before, and we won. Freedom is also the ability to imagine a different reality and hold on to hope. We are powerful individuals, but we are also powerful when we build community and alliances. They cannot take away our ability to dream, to hope, and to imagine new ways of living. Resistance also means knowing that another world is possible.
