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America First Policy Institute

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Not to be confused with America First Policies.
America First Policy Institute
Founded2021; 3 years ago (2021)
FounderBrooke Rollins
85-4202763
Legal status501(c)(3)
Linda McMahon[1]
President and CEO
Brooke Rollins[2]
Key people
Expenses$25 million[3] (2022)
Employees150[3] (2022)
Websiteamericafirstpolicy.com Edit this at Wikidata

The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank that was founded in 2021 to promote former U.S. President Donald Trump's public policy agenda.[4] The organization was founded by Brooke Rollins, who serves as president and CEO and was formerly the acting director of the United States Domestic Policy Council under Trump, and Larry Kudlow, who serves as vice chair and formerly served as the Director of the National Economic Council under Trump. The chairperson of the organization is Linda McMahon, who formerly served as Administrator of the Small Business Administration under Trump and then as chairwoman of America First Action, a pro-Trump Super PAC.[5]

Activities

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According to Politico, the group is often described as a "White House in waiting".[3] The group produced a document about its vision, which includes "job creation and low unemployment, expansion of affordable housing, eradicating Covid-19, reducing federal bureaucracy, cracking down on crime and illegal immigration, passing congressional term limits, and ending foreign war and reliance on China."[3] As of 2023, AFPI had 172 employees, including eight former cabinet secretaries from the Trump administration.[3][6]

AFPI has a transition project[7] which is viewed as a rival to Heritage Foundation's Project 2025.[8] AFPI's former China Policy Initiative chair Steve Yates joined Heritage Foundation as a senior research fellow in October 2024.[9]

Positions

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According to New York Times reporter Ken Bensinger, key policy proposals from the AFPI's policy book, The America First Agenda, include eliminating most civil service protections for federal employees, allowing summary dismissals without appeal; expanding domestic oil and gas production by opening up new federal lands for fast-tracked petroleum exploration and drilling, and resumed construction of the Keystone pipeline; imposing supervised ultrasound requirements and mandatory waiting periods before abortions, as well as ending federal funding for organizations like Planned Parenthood; opposing red flag laws that restrict gun ownership for high-risk individuals; and supporting nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry permits, enabling a permit from any state to authorize concealed carry across all 50 states.[10] Other policy proposals include imposing tariffs on imports, reducing corporate taxes, protecting religious freedom, rolling back climate change initiatives and getting out of the Paris climate agreement, opposing transgender rights, adding work requirements for Medicaid and limiting U.S. involvement in global conflicts. It proposes the restriction of immigration by completing the U.S.-Mexico border wall, boosting funding for border agents, and ending legal immigration programs like family-based visas and the visa lottery.[11]

Funding

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The institute does not disclose its donors and has taken meetings with lobbyists hoping to influence its policy agenda.[12] Trump has fundraised for the group and his Save America PAC has donated $1 million to the institute.[13][14][12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Stanley-Becker, Isaac; Dawsey, Josh (October 11, 2022). "How Trump's legal expenses consumed GOP donor money". Washington Post. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Montgomery, David (October 10, 2022). "Analysis | What Will Happen to America if Trump Wins Again? Experts Helped Us Game It Out". Washington Post. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e McGraw, Meridith (July 25, 2022). "Trump returns to D.C. this week. These former advisers are plotting the comeback". POLITICO. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  4. ^ Allen, Mike (April 13, 2021). "Ex-Trump officials launch nonprofit promoting America First ideology". Axios. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  5. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (December 22, 2020). "Senior Trump advisers prepare to launch policy group". POLITICO. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "The meticulous, ruthless preparations for a second Trump term". The Economist. July 13, 2023.
  7. ^ "The America First Transition Project" (PDF). America First Policy Institute. August 1, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  8. ^ Ward, Ian (August 16, 2024). "Trump's sprint away from Project 2025". Politico. Axel Springer SE. Archived from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024. [Linda] McMahon most recently served as the chair of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), one of the two Washington-based conservative think tanks that has been vying for influence over Trump's official transition effort. AFPI's transition project has been upstaged by its primary rival, the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, but its mission has been largely the same: to build a stable of personnel and policy proposals to aid Trump's transition to the White House should he win in November.
  9. ^ "Heritage Welcomes Steve Yates as Senior Research Fellow for China and National Security Policy". The Heritage Foundation. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Dave Davies (October 30, 2024). "How a little-known organization is poised to shape a second Trump administration". NPR. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  11. ^ Alison Durkee (November 6, 2024). "America First Agenda: What To Know About The Project 2025 Alternative Reportedly Behind Trump Transition". Forbes. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Fuchs, Hailey; McGraw, Meridith (August 29, 2024). "Meet the think tank planning a second Trump administration. (It's not Project 2025.)". Politico.
  13. ^ Feuer, Alan; Haberman, Maggie; Goldman, Adam; Vogel, Kenneth P. (September 8, 2022). "Trump's Post-Election Fund-Raising Comes Under Scrutiny by Justice Dept". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  14. ^ Stanley-Becker, Isaac; Dawsey, Josh (October 11, 2022). "How Trump's legal expenses consumed GOP donor money". The Washington Post.
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