Some Republicans were frustrated with America First’s 2020 performance, and now they’re skeptical it will remain viable as Trump launches his own fundraising venture.
America First Action, once one of the most prominent pro-Trump super PACs, is now fighting to stave off its potential irrelevance.
As president, Donald Trump relied on groups like America First to collect the money he needed to buttress his campaign’s finances. But now that he’s leaving office, Trump and his allies are launching their own fundraising ventures, leaving America First hunting for new leadership to carry it into the future and potentially revamp its reputation among Republican critics who grew frustrated with the group toward the end of the 2020 cycle.
Several Trump allies and Republican strategists are skeptical that America First, which is currently led by former Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon and veteran GOP operative Brian Walsh, will find a high-profile Trump ally willing to take control for the right reasons.
One person close to the president described America First as “unnecessary” now that alternative fundraising vehicles have emerged with direct ties to Trump or superior reputations. The group was outraised by the pro-Biden outfit Priorities USA in the waning months of the 2020 race, ignored by some of the GOP’s most reliable donors and scrutinized for its hefty spending on legal fees.
In many ways, the uncertainty engulfing America First is a sign of the challenges awaiting an entire ecosystem of pro-Trump groups that materialized in Washington over the past four years — offering longtime party operatives and fringe characters alike opportunities to line their pockets and raise their profiles while boosting Trumpian causes or the president himself. But with Trump departing the White House and throwing his weight behind his own leadership PAC, these groups may struggle to keep GOP cash coming their way. Some groups could also spend years entangled in ongoing investigations and legal battles, including America First Action.
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America First Action, once one of the most prominent pro-Trump super PACs, is now fighting to stave off its potential irrelevance https://t.co/8unA7zFpJr
— POLITICO (@politico) December 11, 2020
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