Making sense of the “America First”

Originally published on Fortius Consulting

IRUNE ARIÑO (INTERVIEWER): Welcome, Kristen, and thank you so much for accepting the interview.

KRISTEN ZICCARELLI (INTERVIEWED): Thank you for having me.

IRUNE: These interviews often start with the same question: going back to basics and starting with definitions. Can you first explain to us what is really America First? Is it just a political slogan, or would you say it's a coherent policy doctrine with identifiable principles and long-term goals?

KRISTEN: It’s a great question. America First is much more than a political slogan. It’s an entire set of policies that return the focus and power back to the people in the national interest.

This was clear with President Trump in 2016 when he continuously spoke about it. It was attractive to the American people because it was common sense, realistic. It meant putting people in power in Washington to govern in line with what people care about and what their interests are.

America First is a set of policy prescriptions that aim to do just that. At AFPI, we’ve spent the last four years building out an expansive America First agenda that covers everything from national security to border immigration, energy, economy, values. We’ve taken this agenda into communities, received feedback, and stayed in touch with what Americans want. I’ve focused on immigration, one of the top issues over the past four years with the Biden border crisis. A huge part of President Trump’s victory was the mandate to secure the border, end drug smuggling, get tough on the cartels, and stop human trafficking. My team intentionally created a set of policy prescriptions showing what the Biden administration is doing wrong and offering the America First alternative. That’s what Trump ran on and won on.

If I may go into more detail, America First on border security means building the wall, having infrastructure to stop illegal crossings, enough detention space, executing mass deportations, getting tough on cartels exploiting migrants, and ending the fentanyl crisis.

We even published a book on the fentanyl crisis that connects immigration, national security, China, and public health. Everything we publish isn’t just complaining about Biden or championing Trump—it’s about proposing exact policies to fix these issues.

IRUNE: Before going deeper into that, where does this come from? Both intellectually and contextually—why America First?

KRISTEN: Why the America First movement? Many Americans were tired of elitism in Washington—politicians claiming to represent them, but failing. Getting involved in endless wars, letting illegal aliens overrun communities, and being out of touch with the public’s interests.

It was a crucial moment when President Trump entered the arena and said that he would stop. His approach, which I call principled realism, is realistic. Americans want logical, practical solutions. Maybe those solutions don’t sound good in Washington, but Trump doesn’t care. It’s more important to be honest, direct, and put the people first.

IRUNE: So, we can say it’s about putting the individual—not in an abstract way, but the American citizen—at the center of all policies. And it’s about tackling national problems before those of neighbors or others abroad. How is this different from the neoconservatism that characterized past Republican administrations?

KRISTEN: This movement goes back to our founding and emphasizes national interest over elitism. It’s about having a direct relationship with the American people. The clearest example is immigration. For years, Republicans didn’t deliver on securing the border. It wasn’t at the level of the current crisis, but there was hesitation and lack of accountability. Foreign policy is another major difference. President Trump handled NATO by demanding countries pay their fair share—the 2% GDP defense commitment. That’s a big shift from previous Republicans who didn’t challenge our European partners. Trump’s approach was courageous and broke with the tradition of the U.S. being relied upon unfairly. That made everyone less safe. Holding others accountable improves collective security.

IRUNE: You mentioned this isn’t new, that it started with the first Trump administration. Are there any shifts between the first and second term? Has something changed or intensified?

KRISTEN: President Trump is remarkably consistent. His slogan was “promises made, promises kept,” and that hasn’t changed. He’s even more determined this time around. The ideology is the same, but the problems have become worse. On immigration, he promised mass deportations and a secure border. Back then, the numbers and challenges were lower. Today, we face more violent gangs, more fentanyl deaths, and more unaccompanied minors. But the solutions remain consistent, and the team he’s put in place has done incredible work—especially in the first 100 days. It’s the beginning of a new era after the failures of the Biden years.

IRUNE: One place where America First shows up is in foreign policy. Trump has favored negotiation over military action—in Ukraine, in Gaza. But with recent actions in Iran, some say that contradicts the non-intervention stance. How does this fit into the America First agenda?

KRISTEN: I can see that concern, but I think it’s coherent. America First means prioritizing national interest from the top. Regarding Iran, they refused to negotiate despite efforts from President Trump. When diplomacy fails, there are consequences. This is part of breaking with past habits—conceding to powers like the Iranian regime. That’s no longer acceptable. Trump has always aimed to avoid endless wars. Look at the Abraham Accords. He wants peace, but peace with strength. In this case, there was a threat too great to ignore. Standing firm is part of his leadership style.

IRUNE: From Spain, our perspective leans more toward geopolitics than day-to-day issues like immigration. But related to that, I recently spoke with a Venezuelan opposition member rescued by the U.S. There seems to be strong U.S. support for the opposition to Maduro. Yet the return of Venezuelan migrants poses risks, especially to those fleeing persecution. How can this be managed in the future?

KRISTEN: With Venezuela, a major concern is the threat of Tren de Aragua, which expanded in the U.S. after 2021, now present in over 20 states. The Biden administration’s CHNV parole program brought in up to 30,000 inadmissible individuals from countries like Venezuela. Some are fleeing persecution, but others may be part of violent gangs. The influx, including those coming illegally through the southern border, makes it hard to know who is who. This overwhelms the system, making it harder for legitimate asylum seekers to get protection. From an America First perspective, prudence matters. You have to realistically assess what the country can manage. Allowing potentially dangerous individuals to enter unchecked is irresponsible. When gangs like Tren de Aragua take over apartment complexes and cause violence, people reject that. It’s seen as a failure to protect their interests, and that’s a big part of why Trump won.

IRUNE: Finally, what role has the America First Policy Institute played in shaping policies? Where are you focusing now? Do you also work on narrative framing?

KRISTEN: AFPI was founded in 2021 by former Trump administration officials with governing experience. We countered Biden’s policies while building out a comprehensive America First agenda across areas like immigration, security, energy, and the economy. On immigration, we were in the media daily exposing problems and proposing alternatives. Now, with new leadership, we’re doing deeper research, including on legal immigration and birthright citizenship. We recently brought in experts with long experience in immigration to help advance this intellectually. Two major accomplishments stand out:

1. We helped inspire the H.R. 2 Securing the Border Act, which includes comprehensive legislative solutions to the border crisis.
2. We produced over 100 documents—executive orders, proclamations, legal memos—that were handed to the transition team and used by President Trump on day one. That level of preparation is unprecedented. You saw him signing those orders right after inauguration—that was AFPI's work in action. We brought together a team of over 100 people to make that happen.

IRUNE: Kristen, thank you so much for sharing your insights on the America First agenda. It was a really interesting conversation. We’ll be watching closely how this agenda develops in the coming months. Thanks again for your time.

KRISTEN: Thank you so much.

To read the full interview, click here.