Clinton allies ridicule Trump’s ‘America first’ doctrine

Allies of Hillary Clinton ridiculed Donald Trump on Wednesday for describing his foreign policy vision as “America first” without acknowledging the phrase’s original use by critics of America’s involvement in World War II.

“Maybe he never read history or he doesn’t understand it, but he cleary didn’t understand what the American First-ers used to talk about was that there wasn’t any Nazy threat to American interests,” former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright told reporters in a conference call organized by Clinton’s campaign.

{mosads}“If you don’t know enough history to know that that was the movement that tried to keep America out of World War II … that’s almost a disqualifier right there,” added Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a prominent backer of Clinton’s who was also on the call.

Trump on Wednesday offered his most detailed vision yet of the “America first” foreign policy, which is largely skeptical of international alliances and looks to use unilateral economic leverage to influence world events. Critics have derided Trump’s vision as isolationist and a dramatic break from foreign policy orthodoxy, but his supporters praise his willingness to buck decades of mainstream thought.

Trump, who stepped closer to becoming the Republican Party’s presidential nominee by winning all five primary contests this week, first described his ideology as “America first” in an interview with The New York Times. He has not discussed the use of the phrase by Charles Lindbergh and others who pushed for America to ignore the Nazis’ rise in the early years of World War II.

“I thought that his real title should have been ‘Blame America First,’” quipped Kaine on Wednesday. “It’s not America’s fault that nations around the world aren’t governing correctly.”

“This kind of ‘Blame America First’ mentality comes through loud and clear on virtually every page.”

The Virginia Democrat has been repeatedly mentioned as a possible running mate of Clinton’s, who is approaching the benchmark to being her party’s presidential nominee.