Good morning. I want to talk to you a little bit about what it means to be ‘America First’ and why I have such a problem with Vice President Vance’s interview on The Joe Rogan Experience and the harm it causes.

Let’s start with what it means to be ‘America First.’ It means that as an American citizen, you prioritize the welfare of the United States above every other nation. We need our citizens to be ‘America First’ because if they are not—or if they are secretly working for other nations—it has the potential to undermine our national security.

It goes without saying that any president, regardless of their political party, should be ‘America First.’ So, when a political figure claims that mantle and then proceeds to say things that contradict those values, they are just using the slogan; they are using something that should be axiomatic as a phrase to make themselves look good. It is extremely harmful. It is like someone claiming, ‘These are my Jewish values,’ and then saying something that serves their personal interest but has nothing to do with those values. It is using and abusing the brand, and that is what Vice President Vance did on Joe Rogan’s show.

Vance, who repeatedly insists that he is ‘America First,’ claimed there are certain elements within the Israeli government who want to perpetuate the war with Iran indefinitely, regardless of whether there is a strategic reason to fight. He implies, ‘I am ‘America First’ and they are not, and I am going to defend America against their manipulation.’ He literally used the word ‘manipulate.’

Excuse me, Vice President Vance, but Iran has been at war with the United States, attacking us, for nearly 50 years. They have explicitly stated their desire to take out our leadership. What are you talking about? You are, perhaps, the worst spokesperson for ‘America First’ I have ever seen. By casting Jews in such a bad light, you are fueling antisemitism.