Executive Branch Foreign Relations & International Law

Trump Signs ‘America First Policy Directive to the Secretary of State’

Olivia Manes
Tuesday, January 21, 2025, 1:25 PM

The order directs the secretary of state to ensure State Department policies are “in line with an American First foreign policy.”

Meet The Authors

Published by The Lawfare Institute
in Cooperation With
Brookings

Subscribe to Lawfare

On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “America First Policy Directive to the Secretary of State.” The order's purpose is to ensure that “the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests and always put America and American citizens first.”

In service of this goal, the order directs the secretary of state to “issue guidance bringing the Department of State’s policies, programs, personnel, and operations in line with an America First foreign policy, which puts America and its interests first.”

You can read the order here or below: 


Topics:
Executive Branch Foreign Relations & International Law
Back to Top
Olivia Manes

Olivia Manes

Read More
Olivia Manes is an associate editor of Lawfare. She holds an MPhil with distinction in politics and international studies from the University of Cambridge and a dual B.A. with distinction in international relations and comparative literature from Stanford University. Previously, she was an associate editor of the Cambridge Review of International Affairs.

Subscribe to Lawfare