Welcome Growing Pains for America First

The movement matures and broadens...

The America First cause is still, in reality, a very young movement in the arc of U.S. political history. But at the voter level, patriotic populism has totally transformed the GOP into a workers’ party, animated by cultural conservatism combined with economic nationalism.

This movement flowed first from the Tea Party groundswell during the Great Recession of 2008-09, grew into the MAGA campaign, and achieved national prominence with President Trump’s stunning 2016 triumph. Since that time, the movement continues to broaden, as represented by the recent 2022 popular vote victory of Republicans in U.S. House elections. In fact, the 51/47% GOP House win in November replicates Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election margin, which was considered a resounding victory by politicos.

But with this rapid ascent, growing pains naturally arise. Right now, unnecessary consternation develops among activists regarding the 2024 Republican presidential primary. In particular, partisans in favor of Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis increasingly engage in premature verbal sparring, especially on social media.

But outside of political operatives, here’s the reality among the masses of regular citizens: Republican voters hold both Trump and DeSantis in incredibly high regard. GOP voters validate each of them a roaring 74% approval rating, and for very solid reasons!

DeSantis is clearly the best governor in America and Donald Trump clearly remains the foremost leader of the America First movement. If the two of them do, in fact, end up in a primary showdown, such a contest between accomplished and consequential leaders represents a giant leap forward for the patriotic populist movement.

As I have articulated for years, Donald Trump serves as the Great Revealer who unmasked the cronies of the Ruling Class who have inflicted so much damage upon forgotten working-class Americans. Trump served as the fearless disruptor who landed on the political beach to expose Permanent Washington and the complicit corporate media. As a transformative political warrior, Trump endured their ensuing slanders and persecutions…on our behalf.

In doing so, the 45^th president paved the way for similarly intrepid leaders like Ron DeSantis to rise.

Since narrowly winning the governorship in 2018, DeSantis governed with a powerful focus of protecting and promoting the interests of regular Floridians against corporate interests and Washington tyrants like Anthony Fauci. In gratitude, the former swing state of Florida just delivered a blowout 19% re-election mandate for DeSantis. Many of those voters were political and cultural refugees from blue states who moved to Florida because of DeSantis’ America First policies. The state welcomed a surge of over 400,000 newcomers just last year and became the fastest-growing state in America for the first time since 1957.  

Citizens rally to the cause, in part, to repel the catastrophic policy failures of Joe Biden, especially the created twin crises of the open border and economic stagflation. Our movement has solutions for these calamities.

Into 2024, Republican voters will decide which standard-bearer of America First presents the best governing agenda and the best chance to retake the White House to save our republic from the present madness.

Given this reality, it is time for our movement to mature and to embrace this potential competition. The possibility of two influential, thoroughly New Right candidates should be celebrated as a certifiable success for the movement. Our cause, which once resided on the sidelines of American politics, now rallies to prominence. This elevation should motivate patriotic populists across the nation.