After attack on Syria, Trump supporters question his commitment to ‘America first’

The World
MAGA Trump fans

President Trump's decision to launch missiles at Syria has garnered support from America’s allies, like England, France and Germany. Lawmakers in Washington also largely support the move.

Many of Trump’s fans, though — especially his most prominent and vocal supporters — are feeling disenchanted.

Trump ran on an isolationist platform, promising to put “America first" and speaking out against US intervention in conflicts around the world.

Now, to some, it seems like he’s moving in the opposite direction.

“What Trump did was nothing less than a betrayal, a betrayal of his supporters, of his message 'America first,' of his promise to be different, to learn from the mistakes of the past and chart a new course,” alt-right leader Richard Spencer told The Atlantic.I'll wait and see, of course, but I'm not sure I can continue to support him. Most all of the alt-right feels the same way.”

On Twitter, many other commentators have expressed similar sentiments:

View post on X

View post on X

View post on X

But off of Twitter, another Trump supporter, Lou Mavrakis, says he doesn’t care all that much about what the president does in Syria. He cares much more about what Trump does in America. 

"I don’t want to be the '9-1-1' of the world,” Mavrakis says. “I want to worry about my own situation.”

Mavrakis is the mayor of Monessen, a steel town in southwestern Pennsylvania. He voted for Trump because he hoped the president would reinvigorate his struggling his city. He was counting on Trump to support new infrastructure and bring back jobs. 

But so far things have not changed much. 

“I’m 75 years old. I’ve been patient, but I don’t have much time to live,” says Mavrakis. “I mean how much longer can I live? Something’s gotta trickle down to me.”

Still, the mayor has not given up on Trump just yet. 

“It’s early in the game,” he says. “Let’s give a guy a chance.”

Do you support journalism that strengthens our democracy?

At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.

Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!