Mattis calls for Biden to reject Trump's America First policy

Among the many things that General Jim Mattis would like to see done differently under Biden administration, a transition away from a United States international policy of America First makes the top of his list.

Former Secretary of Defense and Four-Star General Mattis wrote an op-ed in Foreign Affairs on Monday, explaining why the United States should prioritize stronger relations with its allies instead of putting its interests above those of the international community.

Per Mattis, an isolated America is a vulnerable America.

Mattis' contention is that, as powerful as the United States might be militarily, its interests are best served when it can count on a group of reliable allies to further its goals instead of a threat of force.

Over the past four years, Mattis believes that an "America First" mentality has hindered the investment necessary to create that kind of international network and has left the United States disconnected.

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) noted that it will be hard to push through this agenda reversal when there are more than 70 million Americans who support America First.

Under the Trump administration, the United States has pulled back from NATO, demanding that Euopean nations not leave the US to foot the bill for their protection. The Trump administration pulled funding from the World Health Organization over its poor handling of informing the global community about the pandemic. The US also withdrew from the Asia-Pacific trade pact. These are actions Mattis sees as characteristic of a US-first international policy.

"Continued failure to adequately invest in relationships with allies and partners and to cooperate with them to shape the international environment risks the erosion of this network… Even worse, it could result in the emergence of other, competing networks, presaging an international order from which the United States is excluded, unable to influence outcomes because it is simply not present," Mattis said.

Mattis’ proposal for a Biden administration would be a significant departure from the last four years—one that many, like Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), vehemently disagree with. He stated his support of an international foreign policy that emphasizes US interests abroad.

The Blaze's Elijah Schaffer noted that this is a fundamental fight between Republicans and Democrats, where populists on the conservative side want to promote American interests and values, while leftists are primarily interested in perpetuating global elitism.

There's a lot of momentum behind the current US foreign policy of America First. With the Trump-supporting side of the GOP so strong, it won't be easy—politically or economically—to steer the ship in the exact opposite direction. For Jon Miller, overturning America First means a return to endless foreign wars and the deaths of American military men and women.

Trump made America First one of his campaign cornerstones back in 2016, promising voters that he would prioritize American interests above those of other countries—unlike the globalist mentality offered by President Obama, and now president-elect Biden. Americans, said Trump, were sick of seeing government officials send jobs overseas in exchange for better foreign relations.

President Trump pointed out Mexico's immigration crisis, China's unfair business practices, and Iran's nuclear energy deal as areas where the United States had sacrificed to appease international entities. All three were areas in which the Trump Administration changed the tone of the conversation.

Many of Trump's policies were largely concerned with economic development and not international security—a key difference between Trump and Mattis' understanding of America First. That being said, Trump also asserted that the United States could no longer be the policeman or piggy-bank of the world, suggesting that countries needed to invest in their own military development instead of simply relying on American armed forces.

"The countries we defend must pay for the cost of this defense," Trump said at the outset of his presidency. "If not, the US must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves. We have no choice."