Dr. Vishakha N. Desai

When candidate Donald Trump declared “America First” as his campaign slogan, his intent was clear. It was about privileging nationhood against the world. It was going back to an imagined past when America was not a beacon on a hill, inviting all to be part of a constantly evolving society, but a walled fortress, keeping the world at bay. He encouraged his base to think that nationalism and globalism were mutually exclusive, and that in fact, even to think globally was injurious to the health of the nation.