Trump rejects historic parallel of 'America First' slogan

“To me, ‘America First’ is a brand-new, modern term,” he said. “I never related it to the past.”

By MICHAEL WILNER
Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks about the results of the Michigan, Mississippi and other primary elections during a news conference in Jupiter, Florida (photo credit: REUTERS)
Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks about the results of the Michigan, Mississippi and other primary elections during a news conference in Jupiter, Florida
(photo credit: REUTERS)
CLEVELAND -- Donald Trump's campaign slogan 'America First' is not meant to evoke an isolationist movement from the 1940s of the same name, the candidate told the New York Times on Wednesday.
The America First Committee, founded by Charles Lindbergh, campaigned to keep the US out of World War II. Lindbergh accused American Jews at the time of leading the country into war.
“To me, ‘America First’ is a brand-new, modern term,” he said. “I never related it to the past.”
Trump said the slogan– plastered all over the Republican National Convention under way here in Ohio– will be the underlying theme for his keynote speech on Thursday night, when he officially accepts the party's nomination for president.
“We are going to take care of this country first,” he told the Times, “before we worry about everyone else in the world.”