America First And The German American Bunds

(10 minute read)

On a cold February night in 1939, a “Pro American Rally” was held in New York City at Madison Square Garden. Depending on the source, between 18 – 20 thousand men and women were in attendance. A large impressive mural of George Washington was hung front and center for all to see. It was flanked by American flags and swastikas.

The event was largely forgotten but was brought back into American consciousness when filmmaker Marshall Curry released a short documentary called, A Night at the Garden.

“[The raw footage] really made clear how the tactics of demagogues have been the same throughout the ages. They attack the press, using sarcasm and humor. They tell their followers that they are the true Americans …And they encourage their followers to ‘take their country back’ from whatever minority group is ruining it.” – Marshall Curry, filmmaker, A Night at the Garden documentary

The German American Bund (German derivation for federation) was responsible for holding the event. Led by Fritz Kuhn, a naturalized American citizen, The Bund organization was associated with the AFC.

“They were there [that night] to denounce ‘international Jewry,’ the government, and any alliance with European democracies. One banner read ‘Stop Jewish Domination of Christian Americans.'” “Ushers” dressed as Storm Troopers in uniform, complete with swastika armbands, walked up and down the aisle.

– Churchwell, Behold America

That Washington’s portrait was front and center was no coincidence. By evoking an image of Washington they attempted to rewrite history. “They implied that the Founding Fathers would have supported their efforts. Washington, they believed, was America’s first fascist.”

Outside of the Garden 10,000 protesters stood in the cold. Some holding signs declaring “Smash Anti-Semitism” and “Drive the Nazis Out of New York.” A police force of 1,700 surrounded the Garden, “enough to shut down a revolt,” said the police Commissioner.

Inside, to begin the event, 18–20,000 people recited the Pledge of Allegiance. A number of speakers were scheduled. “Attendees wore Nazi armbands, waved American flags and held posters with slogans like ‘Stop Jewish Domination of Christian America.'”

“In equal measure to the xenophobia, the speeches were loaded with American boosterism,” writes Churchwell.

First Lady of Journalism, Dorothy Thompson, was at the event front and center. Thompson was one of the first journalists to warn the world about Adolf Hitler. She would spend her time writing about the rise of fascism in America.

The next day she wrote of that night, “…[the Bunds] intend to set up in this country a Fascist regime. They do not, of course, call it Fascist. Sinclair Lewis, when he wrote ‘It Can’t Happen Here,’ foresaw with prophetic vision that when Fascism came to America it would present itself as ‘true Americanism.'”

She went on to note that Lewis eerily predicted the type of meeting she witnessed and that ‘Storm Troopers’ would be in place to deal with the unruly elements. “Those unruly elements are you and I,” she wrote.

Finally, that evening in a speech, a Lutheran minister from Philadelphia openly admitted that the America First movement was fascist. “There is no line to be drawn between democracy and fascism. It is between communism and fascism. There is no in-between.” There is no room for democracy in the America First’s version of Americanism.

Fate would not be kind to the America First Committee nor the German American Bund. A few months after that cold February night in New York, Hitler and Germany invaded Poland. Two days later England and France declared war on Germany.

“Three days after the war began, Dorthy Thompson said in her radio broadcast, ‘It is one of the most incredible stories in history, that a man could sit down and write in advance’ (in Mein Kampf) ‘exactly what he intended to do; and then, step by step, begin to put his plan into operation. And that the statesmen of the world should continue to say to themselves: ‘He doesn’t really mean it! It doesn’t make sense!’ “

– Churchwell, Behold America

On December 11, 1941, four days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, AFC officially disbanded. The tide had turned and American sentiment about anti-intervention had changed. It was no longer popular to be sympathetic and associated with Nazism or fascism. AFC would go down in history “as a right-wing, hyper-nationalist, racist organization with serious ties to fascist and pro-Nazi movements.”

Today, their hateful rhetoric and beliefs have been revived and are living in the hearts of a minority of Americans.

Kuhn and the Bunds would have a far greater downfall than their AFC counterparts. By the end of 1939, Fritz Kuhn, had been arrested and convicted of embezzling over $250 million dollars (today’s value). He spent time in jail until 1943, where he was arrested and eventually deported to Germany in 1945 for being an enemy agent. He spent time in a German jail before his death in 1951.

Second-in-command of the Bunds, Gerhard Kunze, was arrested in Mexico in 1941 and extradited back to the States. He was tried and found guilty of espionage and spent 15 years in prison. Third-in-line for command, George Froboese, after receiving a grand jury subpoena, committed suicide in 1942. The Bunds organization disbanded shortly thereafter.

The Name Says It All

“[T]he Republican brand is no longer bigger business and smaller government. It’s white supremacy. Their platform? White supremacy. Their political and social goals? White supremacy.”

– Diane Roberts, Florida Phoenix, July 17, 2023

Since its inception in the later 19th- early 20th century, America First has been packaged and repackaged again and again. Like any regifting, it’s still the same crappy gift no matter what wrapped box you put it in.

In 2016, Trump revived and regifted it to the American people and a swath of America took the bait. In 2024, he threw more red meat at his base and won over a young, pissed off, pod-bro listening audience.

The red meat? Mr. Trump is one of the most unoriginal political candidates in American history. He promised all the old promises of every America First group. American non-intervention, protectionist economics, racist, and anti-democratic nationalism.

In other words everything, historically, America First. This time, however, there is no hand-wringing, no choruses of being more understanding. America has had time to observe what has become of American politics. Along with the rest of the world, Americans are finally “calling it like they see-’em.”

“These trends (polarization, economic inequality) have combined to radicalize the Republican Party into an organization that’s no longer committed to democracy. Right now, it’s an uneasy combination of white nationalism and libertarianism.”

– Robert Mickey, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan

In April 2025, the human rights group, Amnesty International, wrote a report on the Presidents first 100 days called, Chaos & Cruelty. As you can imagine, it was not a glowing report.

“One hundred days into his second term, President Trump has led with cruelty and chaos, creating a human rights emergency that has affected millions of people by suppressing dissent, undermining the rule of law, and eroding norms and institutions essential to the protection of human rights.”

– Paul O’Brien, executive director of Amnesty International USA

In the report they cited his immigration policy, suppression of the press and free speech, attacking the rights of women and the LGBTQIA+ community. Every insult on humanity that America First has historically stood for and then some.

McMahon’s America First Policy Institute has its roots in these organizations. A majority of the Institute’s members were and are now in the White House, some like McMahon, hold Cabinet positions.

America First is a racist and hateful ideology. As history has shown, it is intended to bring about an old social order of racial and economic dominance. Those who use it today may acknowledge the movements racist and fascist history while categorically denying their movement is neither. As Roberts noted, they may have dropped the hoods but their goal is still white supremacy.

Cognitive-dissonance is a hell-of-a drug.

It is not an accident that McMahon’s groups, and others, carry on with the same name, America First. Groups that title themselves with it do so intentionally, willingly and wantonly choosing the name for its meaning. Just like every other America First movement, the founders are well aware of its history. They know exactly what the term implies and they share that same ideology. They may gaslight the American people by denying it, but their words and actions speak for themselves.

• Targeting minority immigrants for deportation without due process
• Invoking Christian Nationalism
• Isolationism
• Xenophobia
• Embracing authoritarianism
• Jingoism

They deserve to be treated with the same contempt their predecessors were met with.

America First is really a moronic ideology, par excellence. It is certainly not original and that fits Trump to-a-tee. He has never had an original thought in his life. He abhors intellectuals and has changed political parties a half-dozen times. As we know, he doesn’t do anything unless it directly benefits him.

Not only is America First a really moronic ideology, but America First in what? Education? Math skills? Economy? The number of Wal-Marts per capita?

Are there Americans really rooting for America to be second, third, or fourth in anything?

The America First/MAGA crowd says that we must politically agree with them and get inline with their way of thinking. Those who agree with their twisted ideologies consider themselves “real Americans, real patriots.” That’s the most un-American thing ever to be uttered. What makes this country great IS our DIVERSITY. We all don’t have to agree. In fact, we all DON’T agree on everything and yet each of us plays a part in making this country great.

Anyone telling you anything different and they’re either selling you something, in a cult, or both.

Finally, In 1979, under the Carter administration, Congress created the Department of Education. Upon it’s establishment Congress charged them with certain mandates.

In light of what we now know about the origins of America First and what it stands for, that Donald Trump and MAGA embrace its racist and fascist ideology, and that the GOP is now a fully White Nationalist organization, the very first of these mandates at the DOE should be noted:

1. to strengthen the Federal commitment to ensuring access to equal educational opportunity for every individual (emphasis mine)

“Equal educational opportunity for every individual” implies that at one time it was not equal.

Look up Brown vs. The Board of Education. It was the landmark decision and declared that state-sponsored segregation in public schools (separate but equal) was unconstitutional. Years later, Congress established the DOE, and told segregationist states enough is enough.

Equal educational opportunities for every individual.

America First and MAGA apparently have decided that it would look too ugly to openly assault that decision. So, they’ve developed “a better way.” Dismantle the Federal Department charged with ensuring access to an equal education.

Regardless of how much they deny or clean up their own appearances it is obvious what they mean to do. Their America First ideologies and intents are the same as the old: to return America to its previous “glory.” To reestablish the old white social order of racial and economic dominance. Looking through that lens, everything they say and do is blatantly obvious.

Make America Great Again means “make America White again. Everyone else can piss right off.”

Case closed.

Is the University in Crises? You bet your ass it is. And so is every other democratic principle we’ve taken for granted.

Wake up, America. America First is dismantling our house right before our eyes while shoddily rebuilding it on sand.

Read The University In Crises, (Pt. 11)

Sources:

• Sarah Churchwell, Behold America. The Entangled History of “America First” and “The American Dream,” Basic Books, New York, N.Y., 2018. The influence of Churchwell’s work is felt throughout this article.
• Christopher Nichols, America First, American Isolationism, and the Coming of World War II Essay, Passport, September 2018