Donald Trump rose to power with a clear promise: “America First.” It was bold, simple, and resonated with millions tired of watching politicians spend elsewhere as the country weakened.
But promises and slogans mean nothing if the results tell a different story. And the results today look less like “America First” and more like “Israel First.”
In Trump’s current term, more than $12 billion in U.S. military aid has already been approved for Israel—American tax dollars sent overseas while our schools crumble, families drown in debt, and Black businesses can’t get the support they need. That’s not America First.
Every dollar for another nation’s security is a dollar not spent rebuilding our own communities. Israel grows stronger while working-class Americans, especially Black Americans, are left weaker. This is the harsh reality of America’s foreign aid priorities.
How does this keep happening, no matter who’s in office? The answer is simple: AIPAC. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington. They pour millions into campaigns, pressure lawmakers, and make sure no politician — Democrat or Republican — steps out of line when it comes to sending money overseas.
It’s the oldest game in politics: concentrated benefits and dispersed costs. AIPAC and its donors get the concentrated benefits. The costs are spread so thin across 330 million taxpayers that most people don’t realize how much they’re paying. But for Black America, the cost is very real — less investment in our neighborhoods, fewer opportunities for our businesses, and a government that tells us to be patient while it writes blank checks abroad.
Trump supporters wanted an end to costly foreign aid and a focus on rebuilding America. Instead, foreign entanglements multiplied. Weapons deals, endless aid—under “America First” the actions show a foreign-first agenda. The results are unmistakable: Americans get nothing in return.
And let’s not forget how Trump regained power. He won in large part because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris failed to pull Israel back when the Gaza war intensified. Many voters were disgusted with the way the White House gave Israel a blank check while ignoring the cries for a ceasefire and turning a deaf ear to civilian deaths. That failure opened the door for Trump. Yet now, as president, the right is beginning to see what many feared: when it comes to Israel, Trump is no different than Biden and Harris. The money still flows, the bombs still fall, and America’s priorities are still somewhere overseas instead of here at home.
And this isn’t just about Trump or Biden. It goes back further — to Clinton, and even more sharply to Barack Obama. Obama, as the first Black president, had a historic opportunity to empower Black America. Instead, he empowered the same pro-Israel lobbyists who have dictated U.S. foreign policy for decades. Black communities received soaring speeches and symbolic representation, but the tangible outcomes — economic development, reparations, strong schools, and real ownership — never materialized. Obama’s presidency proved the point: even with a Black face in the White House, the priorities still served the lobbies, not the people.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Black America has missed this hustle. We get caught up in emotional politics—race-baiting, gestures, party loyalty—while our money gets played. We cheer for speeches and symbolism but overlook billions leaving for Israel, Ukraine, and elsewhere as our schools fail, our health lags, and our businesses struggle. Black leadership won’t question aid to Israel, fearing charges of anti-Semitism—even as Israel targets Christians and Muslims in Gaza. Where are leaders like Al Sharpton and Jamal Bryant questioning billions for Israel? They prefer DEI policies, which haven’t delivered for Black people, over confronting the reality: billions go abroad while our neighborhoods are neglected. Pro-Israel money keeps Black leaders and influencers quiet on Israel aid and on reparations.
If we don’t demand real results now, our tax dollars will continue to fund everyone else’s future. “America First” stays empty words, Black America stays ignored, and our reality won’t change without direct action.
