Mitch McConnell Warns Against Isolationism, Criticizes Trump’s ‘America First’ Slogan Amid Global Tensions

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered a pointed critique on Wednesday, likening the current global landscape to the period leading up to World War II and cautioning against the resurgence of isolationist ideals. In comments that appear to take aim at President-elect Donald Trump, McConnell drew attention to Trump’s campaign slogan “America First,” noting its troubling historical echoes.

“We’re in a very, very dangerous world right now, reminiscent of before World War II,” McConnell told The Financial Times. “Even the slogan is the same. ‘America First.’ That was what they said in the ’30s.” The phrase “America First” has a long and controversial history, originating in the 1850s nativist American Party before being used by President Woodrow Wilson during World War I.

By the 1920s, it was adopted by the Ku Klux Klan, and in the 1930s, it became associated with pro-Nazi sympathies. The Anti-Defamation League has previously urged Trump to reconsider using the slogan due to its historical ties to bigotry and extremism.

McConnell, a vocal critic of isolationism, compared today’s GOP to the era of Republican Sen. Robert A. Taft, whom he described as “a raging isolationist.” Taft, the son of President William Howard Taft, opposed NATO and the Marshall Plan following World War II.

“Thank goodness Eisenhower beat him for the [presidential] nomination in ’52 and had a much different view of America’s role in the world,” McConnell said, referring to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s commitment to global leadership.

The longtime Kentucky senator reaffirmed his commitment to combating isolationism, as some members of the Republican Party, including Trump and Vice-President-elect JD Vance, increasingly oppose initiatives like additional aid to Ukraine.

“The cost of deterrence is considerably less than the cost of war,” McConnell explained, pointing out that the U.S. spent nearly 37 percent of its GDP during World War II. “To most American voters, I think the simple answer is, ‘Let’s stay out of it.’ That was the argument made in the ’30s and that just won’t work.”

McConnell praised former President Ronald Reagan’s doctrine of “peace through strength,” saying, “Not just saying peace through strength, but demonstrating it.” The remarks come days after McConnell received an ovation for what many interpreted as a swipe at Trump.

“Within the party, Ronald Reagan once led so capably, it is increasingly fashionable to suggest that the sort of global leadership he modeled is no longer America’s place,” McConnell said, adding pointedly: “America will not be made great again by those who are content to manage our decline.”

With McConnell’s critique receiving both applause and scrutiny, his comments highlight the growing divide within the GOP over America’s role on the global stage.