California Rep. Ro Khanna challenged CNBC host Joe Kernen over President Donald Trump’s foreign policy approach, asking whether “America First” has weakened the country’s standing with longtime allies.
The tense exchange came as Khanna argued that the United States should remain “the leader of the free world,” while Kernen made clear that he had no problem with putting America first.
The exchange aired on CNBC‘s “Squawk Box” during a broader conversation about Trump’s foreign policy. Khanna asked Kernen whether Trump’s rhetoric bothered him and contrasted the president’s approach with past Republican leaders.
“Shouldn’t America lead the world on principle?” Khanna asked.
“I don’t have a problem with America first, I don’t,” Kernen responded.
Khanna pushed back, arguing that putting America first should still mean standing for traditional American principles abroad.
Khanna then pointed to Canada, the UK and Germany while arguing that trust in the United States has fallen among longtime allies. He claimed some now place greater trust in China.
Kernen wasn’t persuaded. “I don’t spend time thinking about it,” he responded before criticizing Canada for moving closer to China despite concerns about the country’s human rights record.
Khanna returned to Germany and argued that the United States should remain “the leader of the free world.”
Khanna’s broader point about declining confidence in the United States has some support in recent polling. Pew Research Center found that the share of Canadians who considered the U.S. a reliable partner fell from 83% in 2022 to 35% in 2026, with significant declines also recorded among several other longtime American allies.
The exchange ended with lighter ideological sparring. Khanna said he sometimes viewed Kernen as “too right,” prompting a joke about being “right about everything.” Khanna closed by saying, “He always gets the last word.”
Ro Khanna’s CNBC Clash Draws Mixed Reactions
The exchange sparked plenty of disagreement online, with some viewers criticizing Khanna’s approach while others believed Kernen sidestepped his underlying question.
“Khanna sounds incredibly naive if he genuinely thinks any empire maintains its status by playing fair,” one person wrote.
Others sided with Khanna. “He didn’t ask whether you support ‘America First,’ Joe. He asked whether you support America behaving like a pillaging empire,” another responded.
The divided reaction mirrored the disagreement playing out between Khanna and Kernen over what America’s leadership abroad should look like.
Khanna and Kernen ultimately didn’t find much common ground. Kernen remained comfortable with an “America First” approach, while Khanna argued that putting the country first shouldn’t mean abandoning the principles he believes gave the United States its influence with allies in the first place.
Their disagreement comes as America’s relationships with some longtime allies are undergoing noticeable changes, giving Khanna’s question about U.S. leadership a much broader backdrop than one tense CNBC exchange.
