An America First Party has actually existed in recent years. In April 2018 its website lamented Trump’s 2018 bombing of Syria: “Syria Attack at Odds with an America First Foreign Policy – April 16 – It
is with sadness that we witnessed President Trump’s effective
repudiation of the principles of an America First foreign policy last week, with his attack on a nation which is not threatening the security interests of the United States, and which is a natural ally with us in opposing Al-Qaeda.“…The America First Party website didn’t claim any connection with Trump, his administration, or campaign.
In 2002 The America First Party invited Ohio Rep. Jim Traficant to speak at its convention. Traficant was born in and was beloved in his home town of Youngstown, Ohio. At one time he was Sheriff of Mahoning County. Sadly, he died in an accident in 2014. Traficant also spoke at a 2009 Tea Party rally in Ohio where he was greeted with cheers of “Traficant for President,” and “We’re with you Jim.” He'd been in prison for 7 years for financial crimes, was released on 9/2/2009. He was a serious advocate of enforcing the US southern border, in 1995 then Democrat Traficant proposed a bill in the House to relocate 10,000 US troops from Europe to the US southern border:
May 1996, “America First,“ James Traficant, Chronicles Magazine (subscription)
Last year [1995] I introduced legislation that would authorize the Pentagon to redeploy American troops stationed in Europe to assist federal law enforcement officials patrolling America’s Southern border. Every day dangerous criminals pour into our country through our border with Mexico—unchallenged.
My bill authorizes the Secretary of Defense–at the request of the Attorney General–to transfer up to 10,000 American troops stationed in Europe back to the United States to assist the Border Patrol and the Immigration and Naturalization Service in preventing illegal aliens, drug traffickers, and terrorists from entering our country. The bill would also allow American troops to assist the Customs Service in inspecting cargo, vehicles, and aircraft at points of entry into the United States.
Let’s be candid. The Border Patrol has only 3,800 personnel to guard the two longest borders of one of the largest countries of the world. Reports indicate that, at any given time,
only 800 patrolmen are available to protect
our 2,000 mile border with Mexico.
Congress has failed to provide funding to enlarge the Border Patrol, and until Congress can find the money, this military option is the best short-term way to address this shortage of personnel.
We have hundreds of thousands of troops deployed throughout the world
protecting European, Asian, and Latin American nations.
If the Pentagon can send hundreds of thousands of American troops to protect our allies, it should be able to spare 10,000 military personnel to protect America.”…
Obviously, the bill didn’t pass, Jim was unpopular in the Beltway, eventually was sent to prison for financial crimes. When he got out, the Tea Party and America First Party greeted him with open arms.
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