‘America First’ means ‘America Alone,’ with policies that hurt Kentuckians at home | Opinion

I grew up believing in the idea of America as the shining city on a hill. That never meant we were perfect—no nation is—but that we strove to be. Our founders enshrined that in the Constitution: “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union...” It was an acknowledgment that perfection is an ongoing pursuit, not a finished state. America, at its best, has always been about striving toward justice, toward freedom, toward being a leader in the world.

But this morning, I feel like we are abandoning that shining city on a hill.

The world is watching as we back away from our commitments. In 1994, the United States signed the Budapest Memorandum, an agreement in which Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances from the U.S., the U.K., and Russia. Ukraine kept its end of the deal. Russia did not. In 2014, they took Crimea. In 2022, they launched a full-scale invasion. And now, rather than standing by our commitment, rather than pressuring Russia to stop its aggression, we are have temporarily stopped supporting Ukraine at all. Why are we pressuring Ukraine, not Russia? What message does that send to the world? What does that say about America’s word?

Our commitment to our allies extends beyond security agreements. We rely on strong economic partnerships, and yet we are watching those unravel as well. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the trade deal President Trump himself negotiated and signed, that he repeatedly touted as one of the best trade deals in history, benefiting American businesses, farmers, and workers. Now, under that same leader, we are imposing senseless tariffs that violate the very deal he made. We are picking fights with the partners we need most, weakening our own economic standing in the process.

Is this what we want America to be? Do we want to be a nation that turns its back on democratic allies? Do we want to be a country that breaks its own agreements? Do we want to be a leader in the world, or are we content with retreating into isolation?

The phrase “America First” was meant to suggest strength, but what we are seeing is not America First — it is America Alone. And America Alone is weaker, not stronger. It means fewer allies in times of crisis. It means economic instability for American farmers who depend on export markets. It means fewer jobs for Kentucky manufacturers who rely on supply chains that cross our borders. It means our national security is weakened when we show that our word cannot be trusted.

Kentucky understands the value of partnerships. Our economy thrives on trade with Canada and Mexico. Our farmers, bourbon distillers, and auto manufacturers depend on these relationships. When we break deals, when we turn our backs on allies, the cost is not abstract—it hits us right here at home. It means lost jobs, lost markets, lost opportunities. It means a weaker America, not a stronger one.

The America I grew up believing in, the America I fought for, was one that kept its promises. One that valued its friends. One that led not by turning inward, but by standing tall with our allies. That America was a shining city on a hill. We can still be that America, but only if we choose to be. Only if we recognize that true strength comes not from isolation, but from leadership, from honor, from the trust of our word.

We must decide—do we still want to be that America?

Rep. Adam Moore represents the 45th District in Fayette and Jessamine Counties.