From Insurrection to Domestic Terrorism

 There will come a time when we look back at 2025 and ask ourselves: how did this happen? How did an autocrat come so close to seizing control? How did our government crumble before our eyes? To understand, we must trace the events that led us here.

It began with America First, a faction that thrived on nationalist fervor during Donald Trump’s presidency. Its influence erupted violently on January 6, 2021, when insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol, attempting to overturn a democratic election. After that failed coup, America First fell into a period of uneasy dormancy throughout President Biden’s term. The world, for a time, seemed to recalibrate, and the movement's most radical elements receded into the shadows. But beneath the surface, the embers still burned.

By 2024, the illusion of normalcy shattered. Donald Trump announced his bid for reelection, and on April 3, 2024, a critical shift occurred. The emergence of the America First Coalition signaled the beginning of a new, more calculated movement. This coalition was spearheaded by a woman who had worked within both America First Works and the America First Policy Institute, serving as their engagement officer and later as the executive director of America First Works. This organization proudly proclaimed itself the "army behind America First."

Perhaps that was the fatal error—believing that building an army meant uniting the most extreme factions of the right. To cement their allegiance, she created a pledge, demanding total commitment to the cause. Every resource would be leveraged, every avenue exploited, no stone left unturned. What may have begun as an attempt to outmaneuver political adversaries soon morphed into something far more sinister.

She may have believed she was organizing a sophisticated political operation, mirroring the discipline and structure of left-wing movements. But she failed to grasp the fundamental danger of her actions. The right-wing extremist landscape is not a unified force; it is a fractured, volatile network of groups with histories of violence and deep ideological rifts. By forcing them under one banner, she did not create unity—she built a powder keg.

When we look back at 2025, we must recognize this as the moment of no return. The rise of the America First Coalition was not just another chapter in political history; it was the trigger that set democracy on the path to destruction. It was the moment when quiet dormancy gave way to organized extremism, when a movement with a history of insurrection was given the structure it needed to try again. The lesson must be clear: radical ambition, unchecked and underestimated, is a threat that democracy cannot afford to ignore. In 2025, we learned this the hard way.

 Ashley Hayek, Executive Director at America First Works and Chief Engagement Officer at America First Policy Institute, scheduled an event on April 23, 2024, to unite various right-wing factions under the banner of the America First Coalition. The event was designed to bring together groups with different interests but common goals, with the ultimate aim of reclaiming the nation and shaping its narrative. The result was a petition called United We Win, which was signed by dozens of conservative groups that promised to combine their resources—energies, budgets, and abilities—towards this shared goal.

The pledge was clear and unwavering: they would leave no stone unturned, no resource untapped, and no citizen unengaged. Their targets were specific: the president, the states, and the schools. Hayek emphasized that their collective mission was to make America "first" and to "save the country," stating, "Making sure that we're all talking together, working together, understanding what each group is doing is really the first step."

But Hayek had already been laying the groundwork well before this event. When asked about how she planned to replace individuals or groups within the government—those who couldn’t legally be removed—she responded with confidence. "That team has assembled over 600 volunteers who have done deep dives into each one of the departments to determine best practices so we can hit the ground running on day one." This ground crew had been operating in the shadows, collecting intelligence, organizing strategies, and preparing for the moment when their efforts would be put into action.

With this well-established foundation, Hayek moved quickly to expand her coalition, recruiting more groups and individuals to join the cause. The mission was clear: by the time Trump was reinstated in office, everything—every policy, every action—would be ready to be enacted not only at the federal level but across the states and within schools.

It was with this meeting and her strategic planning that the America First Coalition began its coordinated push, driven by a commitment to dismantle the government from within. Each group had its own unique mission, but they all shared one ultimate goal: to ensure that their vision of America would be realized. They were determined, focused, and ready to fight for what they believed was the country’s future.