Trump Is Broadening What It Means to Be ‘America First’

Some of Trump’s allies are bristling as he weighs military intervention in Iran, but many are giving him space to decide.

Donald Trump
Mark Schiefelbein/AP

President Donald Trump and his top allies insist that “America First” doesn’t necessarily mean staying out of another international military conflict. Senate Republicans are so far broadly giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that the president is putting America first by preventing Iran from producing nuclear weapons — whatever that prevention effort should look like.

“I just wanted to explain to the American people, if you want safety, part of safety, and I think all Americans want that, is ensuring that the worst people in the world don’t have a nuclear bomb,” Vance said, explaining his post on X to reporters on the Hill.