Conservative group builds ‘America First’ coalition to fight 'radical left's extreme positions and agenda'

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Ashley Hayek discusses ‘America First’ coalition to fight 'radical left's extreme positions and agenda'

America First Works has united a coalition of conservative groups dedicated to spreading a winning message and fighting together ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

An organization working to advance the "America First" agenda has united a diverse coalition of conservative groups to fight together "against the radical left's extreme positions and agenda" ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Led by America First Works, a 501c4 that's closely aligned with the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) and promotes an "America First" agenda through policy and legislation, the coalition was constructed earlier this month during a meeting in the nation's capital, where a pledge to work together was signed.

"On April 3rd, America First Works hosted a meeting at the Willard Hotel, which is historic in and of itself – Martin Luther King refined his speech [there], Abraham Lincoln was there – and brought together over 50 organizations, over 100 people, to just sit down and discuss how we can best work together," Ashley Hayek, who serves as the executive director at America First Works and the chief engagement officer at America First Policy Institute, told Fox News Digital about the "historic" meeting.

"For the first time since Reagan's presidency, [we brought] all of the groups together to work together and to commit that we would coordinate moving forward, whether it's early vote or ballot harvesting where it's legal, mobilization, [or] election integrity," she added.

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Ashley Hayek, executive director at America First Works and chief engagement officer at America First Policy Institute. (Getty Images)

Titled "United We Win," the pledge was signed by dozens of conservative groups with wide-ranging interests who share common goals: To reclaim "our nation's narrative," to "win the argument" ahead of the presidential election, and "saving America."

Those who signed the pledge vowed to "work together as never before" as they "harness our collective resources, wisdom, and energy to educate like never before, to grow our coalition with unwavering dedication, and to advance conservative solutions that will steer our country back toward prosperity, security, and freedom."

"Our mission is clear: reclaim our nation's narrative, win the argument, hold our elected officials accountable, and begin the work of healing and rebuilding," the pledge reads. "Each member organization promises to contribute fully towards our shared goal. We will combine our energies, budgets, and abilities, leaving no stone unturned, no resource untapped, and no citizen unengaged."

Celebrating the diversity of the groups that pledged their support, Hayek insisted this was the "first step" in ensuring a successful election year.

"You have Rebecca Weber, the CEO of AMAC [Association of Mature American Citizens]. It's a group very similar to AARP, but for conservative seniors. You have groups like Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition, who are mobilizing across the country. You also have groups like Bienvenido that focuses on Hispanic outreach," she said.

"This was the first step in bringing everyone together and to have conversations about what this year looks like, how we reclaim the narrative, how we win messaging, how we push back together against the radical left's extreme positions and agenda," Hayek added.

Other groups that attended the meeting and signed onto the pledge, Hayek said, included Tea Party Patriots Action and Turning Point Action.

"All of our groups have different missions that are very unique, but we all have the same goal of wanting to make America first and to save our country," Hayek said. "Making sure that we are all talking together, working together, understanding what each group is doing, is really the first step. That was accomplished by signing that pledge and committing to each other that we will unite like we have never united before."

Pointing to early voting efforts that are being championed by the coalition, Hayek highlighted the fact that "life happens" and noted that some circumstances may prevent people in certain areas of the country from getting to the polls on Election Day.

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Hayek noted that some circumstances may prevent people in certain areas of the country from getting to the polls on Election Day. (Paul J. Richards/AFP via Getty Images)

"If you look at what just recently happened in New York in this special election, you had a snowstorm. Those that did not vote early were not able to possibly cast their ballot. You look at what happened in Reno in 2022 – and it's a very important Senate race – there was a freak snowstorm that came through and people were not able to cast their ballot," she said. "While I think most of us agree that there should be Election Day only, no mail ballots, one vote, one person, complete clear rule of the law voting, that's not reality.... We need to use every tool possible to reach voters, and get people to vote early."

Hayek noted that conservatives should be taking advantage of mailing in their ballots early in states where it's permitted, as she stressed the importance of "getting caught up with the times, modernizing our tactics, working together, and turning out the vote."

"Conservatives and the America First movement, we are on the right side of policies. We are for families, we are for hardworking Americans, we have policy plans that change hearts and minds. We actually saw that in 2022.… We saw historic numbers, increases in Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, suburban women who supported conservative causes," Hayek said. "Now we just need to implement the tactics to make sure we're turning out our votes in the right places so that we can save our country."

Hayek also spoke briefly about the AFPI's Pathway to 2025 initiative, which she described as a "five pillar plan" that's "really simple."

She said the effort, which is being led by former New York GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin, is about "messaging and data, it's unifying the movement, it's project 19, focusing on the counties that we believe will ultimately determine the next election, it's our ballot harvesting and voter mobilization, and then, of course, day one of what a new administration looks like."

"By the way, the day one of the new administration, that's not just a White House. It's also in our states… how we can we have a big impact at even at the school board level," she added.

Asked about the plan and how it would work as far as the replacement of certain individuals or groups who are already a part of the government, Hayek said, "That team has assembled over 600 volunteers that have done deep dives into each one of the departments to determine best practices, so they can hit the ground running on day one of a new administration."

A voter casts her ballot at a polling station on Election Day in Falls Church, Virginia, on Nov. 7, 2023. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

"That work is so important because it's something that the left has done incredibly well and something that, as conservatives, we can do so much better," she said.

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Recognizing that the "conservative movement has been outspent," Hayek said she's confident "we will not be outsmarted."

"Right now, it's very clear that the America First movement, the conservative movement, is focused," she added. "They're dedicated to working together."