Trump Doubles Down On Controversial Comments On NATO Allies: No Payment, No Protection

On Wednesday, Donald Trump reiterated his controversial stance that the United States would not defend any NATO ally that failed to allocate at least 2% of its gross domestic product toward military defense.

Trump stated at a rally in South Carolina that he had consistently expressed that if NATO allies were unwilling to pay up, the United States would not provide protection, reported Politico.

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In addition, Trump stated that, upon reviewing the defense budgets of each country, he observed that none were meeting their financial obligations.

“One of the heads of the countries said, ‘Does that mean that if we don’t pay the bills, that you’re not going to protect us?'” Trump said, according to Politico. The former president then answered,” ‘That’s exactly what it means. I’m not going to protect you.'”

Despite facing criticism from President Joe Biden and international allies, Trump’s comments have generally been met with nods of approval, shrugs, or attempts to downplay his words by Republicans at home. 

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Trump refrained from reiterating the most controversial part of his anecdote, wherein he suggested that he would endorse Russia taking whatever actions they desired against a country failing to fulfill its commitment to spend on its defense budget.

Biden called Trump’s comments over the weekend “shameful,” labeling it as “un-American,” Politico added.

Former President Barack Obama mirrored Biden’s thought on X, posting, “President Biden is absolutely right. The last thing we need right now is a world that is more chaotic and less secure; where dictators feel emboldened and our allies wonder if they can count on us. Let’s keep moving forward.”

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Today, CNBC noted that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his nation’s dedication to allocating 2% of its gross domestic product (GDP) towards defense spending, both for this year and in the foreseeable future.

“Germany will invest 2% of its GDP on defense in the 2020s, in the 2030s and beyond,” Scholz told the Munich Security Conference.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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