WASHINGTON — During the campaign, Donald Trump made no apologies for putting America first. He has promised to secure the country's borders, strengthen its domestic workforce and be tough on countries he believes are taking advantage of the United States.
Now, 10 months into his second term, the president is facing backlash from some conservatives who say he is too focused on foreign affairs, whether he is committed to regime change in Venezuelaconcluding peace agreements in Ukraine And Gaza or extension $20 billion currency swap for Argentina. The criticism has intensified in recent days after Trump expressed support for providing more visas to foreign students and skilled immigrant workers.
The cracks in the MAGA movement, which have become more visible in recent weeks, highlight how Trump's once impenetrable political base is faltering as the president appears to embrace a more global approach to governing.
“I have to look at the presidency as a global situation, not a local one,” Trump said this week when asked to respond to criticism at an Oval Office event. “If we had a bad president, we could have a burning world in which wars would very easily come to our shores.”
For supporters of Trump's MAGA movement, the conflict is causing some to favor the “America First” ideology over the president they have long supported and who, in some cases, inspired them to participate in the political process.
“I am against foreign aid, foreign wars and sending one dollar to foreign countries,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who has become more critical of Trump's policies in recent weeks, said on social media Wednesday. “I am America first and only America. This is my way, and there can be no other way.”
In addition to concerns about America First, some Trump supporters are frustrated that he is resisting revelations about late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his network of powerful friends, including Trump. For example, a group of House Republicans helped force a vote to demand further disclosure of Epstein files from the Justice Department.
“When they protect pedophiles, when they drain our budget, when they start wars abroad, I'm sorry, I can't agree with that,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.). said in an interview with CNN. “And people at home agree with me. They understand, even the most ardent Trump supporters understand.”
When asked to respond to criticism Trump has faced in recent weeks, the White House said the president is focused on implementing “economic policies that cut spending, raise real wages and provide trillions in investment to create and hire America's workforce.”
Mike Madrid, a Republican consultant who was never Trump, said the Epstein scandal accelerated the Republican backlash that had been brewing as a result of Trump reversing his campaign promises.
“They are against him and that is a sign that the unbreakable trust is gone,” Madrid said.
The MAGA movement was not driven by political ideology, but rather by “loyalty to the leader,” Madrid said. Once trust in Trump fades, “everything will be lost.”
Criticism of Trump goes mainstream
Intraparty tensions also affected conservative and mainstream news outlets, where the president was challenged on his policies.
In a recent Fox News interview with Laura Ingraham, Trump pushed for a plan to issue student visas to hundreds of thousands of Chinese students. The move would mark a shift from actions his administration took this year to crack down on international students.
“I think it’s good to have foreign countries,” Trump said. “Look, I want to be able to get along with the world.”
In the same interview, Trump said he supports H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers because there are no workers with “certain talent” in the United States.
“You can't take people off the unemployment line and say, 'I'm going to send you to a factory where we'll make missiles,'” Trump argued.
Trump in September imposed a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. for skilled workers, a step that led to confusion among businessmen, immigration lawyers and H-1B visa holders. Before Trump's order, the visa program was in effect revealed a split between the president's supporters in the technology industry, which relies on the program, and immigration hardliners who want the US to invest in the American workforce.
A day after Trump expressed support for the visa program, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem added fuel to the immigration debate by saying the administration was accelerating immigrants' path to citizenship.
“More people are naturalizing under this administration than ever before,” Noem told Fox News this week.
Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and close Trump ally, said the administration's position was “disappointing.”
“What's good about this? We have to kick foreigners out and not let them stay,” Loomer said.
Polls add heat
How polls show Americans are increasingly disillusioned with the economySome conservatives have increasingly accused Trump of not doing enough to create more jobs and lower the cost of living.
Greene, Republican from Georgia, said Thursday on The Sean Spicer Show. that Trump and his administration “light up” people when they say prices are falling.
“It actually infuriates people because they know what they're paying for at the grocery store,” she said, urging Republicans to “show that we're in the trenches with them” rather than denying their experiences.
Although Trump says the economy is strong, administration officials have begun talking about pushing ahead with new economic policies. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said this week that the administration will work to give consumers more purchasing power, saying “we're going to fix it now.”
“We understand that when people look in their wallets to go to the grocery store, they still have work to do,” Hassett said.
Recognition will come after this month elections in key states – in which Republicans suffered a crushing defeat – made it clear that rising prices are a top issue for many Americans. results also showed Latino voters turned away from the Republican Party amid growing concerns about the economy.
As Republicans try to refocus on addressing affordability, Trump continues to blame former President Biden for economic woes.
“COSTS and INFLATION were higher under the Sleepy Joe Biden administration than they are now,” Trump said Friday in a social media post. He insisted that spending was “falling” under his administration.
