Patriot or Nationalist? The Dangerous Game Trump Is Playing with America’s Soul
Why Trump’s “America First” Is a Threat to Everything We Stand For
“Patriotism means loving your country and having the courage to demand that America lives up to its promises—freedom, justice, and equality for everyone. When we confuse that with obedient endorsement for government policies or nationalism, we trade principle for pride, and if we let that happen, we won’t just fail our children, we’ll fail the world that once looked to us for hope.”
— Mitch Jackson
I’m a trial lawyer. My career has been about standing in courtrooms, fighting to uphold people’s rights like due process, equal protection, the fundamental promises America makes to every citizen, no matter their background or beliefs. When I speak, write, or litigate about patriotism, I’m not talking about slogans or party loyalty. I’m talking about something far deeper: the soul of our democracy.
Real patriotism is rooted in shared American values like justice, fairness, and freedom, the kind that push us to speak out when something’s wrong, not stay silent. True patriots fight to make this country live up to its ideals. We believe in “We the People.” We believe that equal protection under law and fair elections aren’t optional—they’re the foundation of who we are.
Nationalism, by contrast, is a very different beast. Nationalism is less about ideals and more about power, dominance, and exclusion. It demands unquestioning loyalty to a leader or a narrow identity group, not loyalty to the Constitution or its principles. Nationalism thrives on slogans and symbols, not on reason or principle.
It says, in effect, “Our country is always right,” “Our group is better than others,” or “If you don’t fully support this leader, you’re not really one of us.” Modern nationalism often paints complex issues as simple enemies or traitors to blame – and it leaves real problems unsolved.
Key differences
- Patriotism is love of country and its values, which means being ready to call out anything that hurts those values. Patriots want our nation’s strength to lie in unity, justice, and hard-earned progress.
- Nationalism is love of power and pride that often wants to shut down criticism. It defines “us” narrowly and may label others as enemies. Nationalists use national symbols and slogans as badges of loyalty, and they may ignore rule of law if it suits them.
For everyday Americans, these differences matter right now. Because of Trump’s leadership, or lack thereof, we’re witnessing our country drifting away from patriotism toward a brand of nationalism that threatens our Constitution, our democracy, and our unity. We must steer back to true patriotism: the love of country that means love of justice, equality, and freedom – even when that means hard questions and tough battles.
"America First" or America United?
You’ve heard the slogan “America First,” and on the surface it sounds harmless, who doesn’t want America to do well? But slogans hide motives. In practice, the Trump administration turned “America First” into isolationist nationalism. Instead of working with allies and building coalitions (as patriots would do), “America First” too often means turning our back on the world. True patriotism calls us to be global leaders for freedom and justice, not to build walls around ourselves.
President Trump has walked away from international treaties and organizations that keep us safe and prosperous. He pulled us out of the Paris climate agreement, started trade wars, and cozied up to dictators. He talked tough about protecting jobs, but the retaliation hurt farmers and businesses at home. He spurned NATO allies and weakened long-standing partnerships. That isolationist stance is nationalism, not patriotism.
Real patriotism, by contrast, would fix problems in ways consistent with our values. Think of past leaders who built alliances: sending aid when allies were in trouble (because our strength grows when theirs does), standing up for democracy abroad, and leading in innovation and trade.
American patriots know our ideals shine brightest when we show them to the world. As George Washington urged, we should cherish “a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment” to our union and Constitution. Our Constitution is the work of our own hands, and patriots cherish it by living its values at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, an isolationist “America First” buys headlines but strains our alliances. When we pull up the drawbridge and ignore global problems, threats grow. Other countries notice when America steps back, and some start filling the void. Real patriots work with the world to keep democracy alive; nationalists try to go it alone and brag about dropping out.
In the political drama Madam Secretary, Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord, a former CIA analyst and political science professor, delivers a powerful speech that draws a sharp, unforgettable line between true patriotism and dangerous nationalism. It’s good and worth a watch.
Scapegoating Immigrants and Minorities
Another stark difference between patriotism and nationalism is who we blame when things go wrong. True patriotism recognizes that America was built by immigrants and immigrants’ children, from Day One. It roots out prejudice because it knows the country’s promise must be for all. Nationalism, on the other hand, often rises by stirring up fear of “the other.”
We’ve seen how, under Trump’s leadership, immigrants and minorities have been demonized to divide the country. Instead of leading with facts or compassion, Trump rallies have been marked by hateful language: calling undocumented immigrants “animals” or “poison,” dubbing Muslim families as potential terrorists, or portraying minority communities as criminals. In countless speeches, his rhetoric paints whole groups as if their voices shouldn’t even be heard.
Patriots reject this. We recall that immigrants followed in the footsteps of George Washington’s own soldiers, of Lincoln’s pioneers in the West, of Rosa Parks’ ancestors, all searching for freedom. America taught the world: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Our Constitution promises equal protection under law for every person, no matter where they come from or what they look like. Justice is blind, and America’s greatness depends on proving those words true.
But nationalism looks for scapegoats. When factories shut down, a nationalist blames foreign labor. When crime happens, a nationalist blames certain neighborhoods. When it rains, a nationalist might even blame a different country’s flag. This is a divide-and-rule playbook, not patriotism. The patriot in us asks: How can we solve problems together, in line with our values? The nationalist asks: Who do I kick out or lock up so I can seem strong?
Today, we see real consequences. Families are split by a wall and harsh border policies. Religious minorities fear travel bans. Communities of color feel tension and suspicion. That’s not only un-American, it’s dangerous to our unity. As Abraham Lincoln warned, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” When we turn on each other, we all lose.
Undermining Justice and Democratic Institutions
A foundational rule of American patriotism is rule of law. Patriotic citizens trust that laws, constitutions, and institutions should guide the nation. We expect leaders to work within the system. Nationalism cares about one thing: power. When power is threatened, the nationalist bulldozes the system.
Under Trump, we’ve seen a steady siege on the branches of government and on free speech. He frequently attacks the judiciary when rulings go against him, calling judges names or threatening to overturn verdicts. He insults the FBI and the Department of Justice when investigations target his allies. Meanwhile, he praises authoritarian judges abroad but undermines our own constitutional checks and balances.
The free press has also been under assault. A patriotic democracy relies on reporters holding power to account; the nationalistic playbook is to silence them. President Trump has repeatedly labeled honest journalists “enemies of the people,” refused to answer tough questions, and even threatened his critics in front of cameras. He has pardoned cronies loyal to him, and talked openly about using the Justice Department to go after dissenters.
Then there’s election integrity. Every patriot should want fair elections so that “We the People” decide who governs. Yet Trump has been undermining that principle. He’s suggested he might not accept the results if he loses, sown doubts about the very ballots Americans cast, and praised foreign interference when it helped him. These actions tear at the threads of democracy. As George Washington reminded the nation, our Constitution is “sacredly obligatory.” When a president treats free elections like tricks to be manipulated, he betrays the country, not defends it.
Patriotic Americans must stand by our institutions. Theodore Roosevelt pointed out that supporting the country doesn’t mean supporting every leader – especially when they threaten the country’s foundations. It is patriotic to oppose a president who tramples on the law. If we stay silent or allow these attacks on justice and truth, we are letting demagoguery pull us away from our founding principles.
The Cult of Personality and Symbols
One of the most alarming things about Trump’s nationalism is how he has turned himself into a sort of brand or cult figure. In patriotism, we salute the flag and remember the people who came before us – patriots, soldiers, citizens who upheld our ideals. In a cult of personality, the leader becomes the flag.
We’ve watched crowds at Trump rallies hang on his every word, chanting “lock her up” or “USA” on command, as if this leader alone is America’s true voice. Flags and national symbols get waved when he’s on stage, but often disappear when anyone else speaks. He stacks his events with paraphernalia to create an atmosphere of total allegiance, telling people that questioning him is unpatriotic. Yet patriotism embraces tough questions; it embraces citizens who say, “We love our country, but we want it to live up to its promises.”
True patriots use national symbols as inspiration, not as props. We remember that the same flag flies over everyone – protesters, neighbors, dissenters, and allies. That flag stands for the Constitution and our shared values, not for a team. Patriotism means bringing us together under the stars and stripes. Nationalism tears it apart by saying the star-spangled banner only stands for one faction’s version of America.
Look at how President Trump has used symbols: strolling with a Bible in front of a church as a photo-op, or flipping a U.S. flag into an angry crowd to pump them up. These stunts are about one man, not one nation. A patriotic leader would focus on the causes of faith or unity themselves, not treat the Constitution or the Bible like stage sets.
Veterans who fought under the flag are some of the truest patriots, they protect all of us. They would likely say, as General Dwight Eisenhower did, that “the essence of America is we don’t surrender.” But surrendering to bigotry, fanning fear instead of faith, or substituting slogans for values, that is surrendering the idea of America itself.
Who Counts as “American”?
Patriotism is generous. It believes there is room for all of us under the American sun. The nationalist narrative whispers that only certain people truly belong, that some are impostors or enemies. Recently, we’ve heard echoes of a dreadful idea: that only one set of citizens is the real America. President Trump has framed the world as split into “real Americans” (meaning his supporters) and the rest of us – the others.
Hearing a leader say that only some people are truly patriotic, and dismissing everyone else as not American, is chilling. Imagine telling half of every neighborhood or community: You’re not part of the club. Patriotism isn’t about a club of winners and a separate club of losers. Patriotism says We the People, not “We the People who voted for this man.”
Remember Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, where he invoked soldiers of both the North and South as part of “this nation.” He spoke of one people owning the Constitution together. That’s who we are. But nationalism insists on lines, along race, region, or even how people voted. It pits Americans against Americans with words and fear. Washington warned against this too, cautioning that any attempt “to sever [people] from their brethren and connect them with aliens” is dangerous.
All of us who care about this country have ancestors or neighbors who fought for it, built it, loved it. To deny them patriotism because they disagree with some leader is the opposite of what our country stands for. Real patriotism means debating ideas as fellow Americans, not treating one another as outsiders. It’s when a baker who voted one way and a teacher who voted another come together to fix a pothole, or pass a good school budget, or care for a veteran. There’s no better example of patriotism than neighbors rolling up their sleeves to uphold our ideals.
Patriotism in Our History and Today
It might surprise some to hear it, but America’s greatest patriots often sounded a lot like today’s critics of nationalism. George Washington, a general in the Revolution and our first President, put the union first and warned us not to split apart. Abraham Lincoln, who kept our country from tearing in two, reminded us that true love of country sometimes means facing its failures head-on.
Theodore Roosevelt, one of our most patriotic presidents, made a point of telling people it was patriotic to tell the truth about leaders. Quoting him: “It is patriotic to support [the president] insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that… he fails in his duty to stand by the country.” In other words, Roosevelt understood that supporting one’s country means telling the president when he’s in the wrong. That kind of thinking got us through World War I, the civil rights era, and countless other struggles.
Even Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself, setting a tone of courage and compassion. Our Founders gave us a Constitution built on checks and balances so no one man could stand above the nation. Every patriotic oath in this country is to support the Constitution and the laws, not to blindly back any single official. Judges, journalists, activists, and everyday citizens, they all help keep power in check, and they do it out of love for America, not loyalty to a person.
We can see the difference in action. When patriots like Susan B. Anthony or Martin Luther King Jr. took to the streets, they were questioned by some as unpatriotic troublemakers. Yet we now know their protests were deeply patriotic, fighting to make America live up to its creed. Similarly, questioning a president who undermines courts or courts a dictator is not just allowed, it’s our duty as patriots.
Choose Patriotism Over Nationalism
Every American voter has a stake in this. The time to act is now. We must actively reject the kind of nationalism that demands blind loyalty and divides us. We do that by speaking out, volunteering, voting, and remembering why our country exists. If love of country means anything, it means we will not be silent when our values are twisted. It means we will stand up for the Constitution even if it means standing against a popular leader.
We’re at a crossroads: we can shrug and say “just politics as usual,” or we can insist that America be better. The patriots of our past left us a vision of America as a beacon of democracy, where “justice for all” isn’t just a phrase. Our Constitution wasn’t written to glorify any one person – it’s written to protect us. If we let nationalism take hold, we hand the reins of our future to forces that would tear apart everything our veterans fought for.
So let’s remember who we are. We are Americans of every background who believe in the promise of this nation. We are men and women who fix the roads, teach the children, defend the Constitution, and yes – sometimes demand accountability from our leaders. As George Washington prayed, let us vow that “the happiness of the people of these States” may be our guiding star, above partisan labels.
The choice is ours: to wave the flag in praise of democracy, justice, and unity – or to treat it as a trophy for a party and a president. Let’s stand together and tell Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and all those who fought for this country, that their ideals still live. Let’s choose patriotism over nationalism, now and forever!
Mitch Jackson, Esq. | links
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Related podcast episode about the difference between patriotism and nationalism.
https://open.substack.com/pub/mitchthelawyer/p/podcast-episode-patriot-or-nationalist?r=2fe7t3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false