By Jeffrey A. Rendall
Trump’s America First emphasis hasn’t changed, but he must step up his packaging
It goes without saying there’s been a lot of debate about President Donald J. Trump and his priorities lately.
This isn’t saying there hasn’t been a crushing load of news developments to try and sift through to distract the Trump-ian policymakers from their intended targets. Pardon the pun. No, the ongoing U.S. mission to subdue the last remnants of the Iranian military deserves its outsized share of comment, seeing as the men and women of the U.S. military’s lives are in peril on a momentary basis. And then there’s the matter of world oil prices and the threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s tentacles reached a lot farther than most people realized. And it’s not just Israel at risk, either.
But there’s little doubt much of the president’s attention lies elsewhere as we head towards April. As I’ve documented a number of times, Trump himself insists he can “multi-task” like no one else ever could, and his foreign and domestic agendas aren’t that different. History and a glance at his record indicates this is the truth. Throughout his storied life and professional career, Donald Trump always had something on the backburner.
What the American people think of Trump’s abilities is another matter entirely. Needless to say, most America lovers don’t pitch their tents according to statements emanating from the White House. Patriotic people want their country placed at the head of the line and won’t settle for anything lesser. Not even from Donald Trump.
Polls suggest Trump should pay attention to how he’s being viewed by those who’ve usually supported him. In an article titled, “Most Voters Say Trump Admin Isn’t Actually Putting America First, Poll Finds”, Ireland Owens (for the Daily Caller News Foundation) reported at The Star News Network:
“The latest Emerson College survey found that 53% of likely U.S. voters think the administration is not ‘putting America first,’ while 42% think it is, a net negative of 11 percentage points — marking an 18-point shift from a year before. In March 2025, 48% of respondents said the administration was putting ‘America first,’ and 41% said it was not, a net positive of seven points.
“Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said, ‘Democrats have maintained an edge over congressional Republicans for the entirety of 2026, while Republican support has been consistent at 42%,’ Kimball continued, ‘Democrats have an 18-point advantage among independent voters, 49% to 31%, and a 21-point edge among Hispanic voters, leading 53% to 32%.’
“’Independent and Hispanic voters drive the shift in voters’ perception of the Trump administration,’ Kimball added. ‘A year ago, independents were split: 45% thought the administration was putting America first and 44% thought it was not. Today, 58% say it is not, while 36% say it is… Similarly, Hispanics were split, 41% to 42%; today, 58% say the administration is not putting America first, while 33% say it is,’ Kimball said.”
The last tidbit was particularly noteworthy. Democrats and hardcore leftists guess that Trump’s hardline immigration stance has soured Hispanics’ impressions of his commitment to America – and putting it first – but here’s thinking the personal finance-driven Hispanic voting bloc is worried about the economics of Trump’s policies, not his willingness to put the country first.
Put it this way, I doubt many Hispanics cared all that much about Trump reducing illegal immigration to practically zero on his watch. And they surely didn’t object to the Trump team’s January action to capture the Venezuelan former dictator and his wife. Similarly, the administration’s moves to staunch the flow of illicit drugs coming north only burdens the cartels and the criminal element.
No, it’s an economics thing – together with the establishment media’s fixation on the conflict in Iran. No one needs to point out that gas prices rose dramatically this month, a development that heavily impacted small business owners. Many Hispanics are business owners. Their attitudes aren’t that narrow, but this has something to do with it.
For the rest of the Independent voters and their impressions, it probably shouldn’t be all that startling that Trump has experienced a bit of a lull in his “America First” emphasis. Most people diverge in their definitions of what “America First” really means, but here’s guessing it has something to do with our country’s position in the world at large.
President Trump’s decision to lay a hurt on Iran must have something to do with the ordinary person’s thoughts. Coming on the heels of Trump’s other strong foreign policy stances, including his fluctuating tariffs, flexible praise for NATO, his seemingly inconsistent position on Ukraine and Russia, etc… It’s sometimes hard to see where “America First” fits into the continuum.
Couple this with a few conservative (or former conservative) podcasters criticizing MAGA’s role in overseas military excursions and you’ve got a lot of people up in the air about Trump’s true principles and what the country will do in the future.
Has Trump changed? Is it, as the (small “l”) libertarians assert, that he now prefers aggressive, offensive military missions to peace and diplomacy?
If anything, one would surmise Trump’s perceived shift in thinking on the merit of using U.S. military forces would’ve pleased one bloc of voters who viewed him as too isolationist and not willing to get involved “over there” so as to keep the world’s problems from showing up at our shoreline. The NeverTrump faction included a number of neoconservatives who took offense at Trump’s overt criticism of the Bush years.
Where’s Liz Cheney these days?
The only problem is Trump hasn’t changed all that much. Though his military incursions haven’t exactly been limited in scope, there hasn’t been a push to call up the reserves and send them over to foreign lands to squat and occupy like the Bush/Cheney people did twenty years ago. There hasn’t been another Fallujah under Trump. And there won’t be.
Trump is first and foremost a wise political mind and he has an innate sense in what is – and is not – doable from the Oval Office. The fastest way to turn some of his supporters against him and MAGA would be to create conditions where casualties mount.
Thus far, the ones getting smashed are in the Middle East, including Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Beyond defining Trump’s latest popularity challenge, is there anything that can be done to improve things before this November’s midterm elections?
First off, the poll numbers should gradually rise as time goes on, assuming the economy will improve in the coming months. Current gas price spikes are almost certainly temporary and will level off when the supply regains its foothold.
Adam Smith’s “Invisible Hand” always works its magic. Trump understands that American domestic production along with stabilizing cooperative foreign producers, such as Venezuela, will work to lower the price of crude. Media commentators won’t be as quick to highlight big drops in oil prices when they occur. No, that would make it sound like Trump was right.
Further, the Fed, once Chairman Jerome Powell is out, should bring interest rates more in line with what consumers hope/demand. The housing market will get better when more people can afford bigger houses – or to buy a first home. This alone will make a big difference in their viewpoints on “America First”.
Next, Trump must work a regular campaign schedule. Again. He’s relied on Vice President JD Vance to take up the slack in the past few weeks, though he should remember that there’s no one who could replace the MAGA founder with the base. Vance has done an admirable job as a supplement, but Trump has to do the legwork himself if he’s to enjoy the full approval ratings effect.
This summer’s 250th birthday (America’s Semiquincentennial) celebrations will help Americans gain a better perspective on how much their president loves his country, and how he’s more than willing to put America First.
If anything, President Trump is waiting for moods to calm down internationally so he can better highlight the great things that are going on close to home. Voters’ impressions can change rapidly – including in a positive direction. With spring’s arrival, people will think more constructively, too. Trump can help his own approval ratings cause by concentrating on the nation’s economy.
Jeff Rendall is editor and publisher of GolfintheUSA.com and has written about golf and politics for over a quarter of a century. A non-practicing attorney from California, he moved to the east coast three decades ago to pursue and combine his interests in all things American history and culture. Jeff has worked as an intern on Capitol Hill and in various capacities in grassroots organizing and conservative organizations and publications, including a nearly two-decade stint at ConservativeHQ.com. Column republishing or other inquiries: Rendall@msn.com .