H.W. Brands describes how, in early 1941, Lindbergh took his arguments to Congress, testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate. He presented himself as a political "babe in the woods," taking pride in his "innocence" compared to

H.W. Brands describes how, in early 1941, Lindbergh took his arguments to Congress, testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate. He presented himself as a political "babe in the woods," taking pride in his "innocence" compared to the "culture of politics" embodied by Roosevelt. While interventionists argued that air power had made the world smaller and America more vulnerable, Lindbergh used his technical expertise to argue the opposite: air power made the United States more defensible. He reasoned that any invader would require an armada of ships that could now be attacked by aircraft 300 miles off the American shore, long before they reached land. Lindbergh rejected the label of "isolationist," proposing instead a robust "hemispheric defense." He argued that America's frontier was not on the Rhine River but 200 miles off its own coasts, encompassing the entire Western Hemisphere including Canada and Latin America. His message resonated with the public; massive rallies at the Manhattan Center and Madison Square Garden saw crowds so large that many were left waiting outside. Lindbergh's diary noted his own popularity with some vanity, viewing the cheering crowds as a sign that the people agreed with his "America first" message. However, the debate in the summer of 1941 was increasingly characterized by mockery from London, where leaders were desperate for America to stop simply selling weapons and start fighting. (6)
1936