Why Trump’s ‘Israel First’ sacrifice of US soldiers will backfire

The US assault on Iran highlights Donald Trump’s commitment to an ‘Israel First‘ foreign policy. However, the sacrifice of US soldiers’ in the process could deliver a fatal blow to Trump’s ‘America First‘ campaign slogan.

Trump’s ‘Israel First’ assault on Iran

The latest illegal, unprovoked coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran have killed 555 people so far, including around 180 children. Meanwhile, Iran’s retaliatory counter-strikes against US targets in the Arabian Gulf have so far claimed the lives of four US soldiers. And Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has responded by insisting that:

Trump has turned ‘America First’ into ‘Israel First’—which always means ‘America Last’.

Araghchi asserted that “a deal was within reach” but:

it was Mr. Trump, yet again, who ultimately ordered bombing of the negotiating table.

He suggested the possibility that Israel had “dragged” the US into war in the “middle of talks,” effectively aborting any chance of a deal. While lamenting the escalation of hostilities, he reminds us of the litany of US failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying:

We’ve had two decades to study defeats of the U.S. military to our immediate east and west. We’ve incorporated lessons accordingly.

Supreme National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani, meanwhile, referred to Trump’s “Israel First” actions, insisting the US president had:

turned his self-made ‘America First’ slogan into ‘Israel First’ and sacrificed American soldiers for Israel’s power-hungry ambitions

He added that the US was:

once again imposing the cost of assassinating its own character on American soldiers and families.

Iran’s government has said it will continue retaliating until US-Israeli attacks stop.

Putting Israel first is alienating Trump supporters

It’s not just critics of Trump who say he’s putting Israel first by attacking Iran. It’s also former Trump allies on the right, such as retired Army colonel and Trump ally” Douglas MacGregor. Hostilities with Iran, MacGregor said recently, have little to do with the US. Instead, he asserted, it’s “Israel First in action”.

US allies in the Middle East and further afield don’t want regional war or a massive refugee crisis that would come from intensifying conflict with Iran, MacGregor argued. But Israel doesn’t care about that, and the US seems to be prioritising Israel’s interests over the safety of its regional allies.

Trump’s position has long been clear. And at the start of his second term in office, amid Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, he quickly surrounded himself with pro-Israel billionaires and cheerleaders. However, the increasing shamelessness of his actions is attracting growing opposition from former allies.

As support for Israel plummets in the US in general, prominent right-wing figures like congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, media influencer Tucker Carlson, former Trump aide Steve Bannon, and religious advocate Carrie Prejean Boller have spoken out against the war.

These former Trump backers think Israeli interests are dictating too much of what the US does. And they’re not happy with that.

However, rather than listening, Trump seems to have turned against many of these figures.

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, meanwhile, caused a ruckus with his own pro-Israel comments. But he is facing a backlash even from people on the right as a result. As Al Jazeera said, he:

appears to put Israel first and America second is no longer an asset, but a liability, for American politicians.

Why? Because Israel’s genocide has changed US public opinion. And ongoing unconditional support for Israeli crimes is an increasingly unpopular stance.

We know Trump doesn’t care about human life or suffering. But if he cares about keeping his support base loyal, he will need to start toning down his ‘Israel first’ extremism.

The more US lives he sacrifices in service of Israeli interests, the harder it will be for even his own supporters to defend his actions.

Featured image via the Canary