“'You're not paying? Are you a delinquent?'” President Trump recalled replying. “No, I won't protect you. In fact, I'd encourage them to do whatever they want to do. I think. You have to pay. You have to pay the bills.”
Member of Parliament adam schiff (D-Calif.) condemned the remarks in a post to X on Saturday night.
“President Trump boasted that if Russia did not spend enough on defense, he would encourage Russia to 'do whatever they want' to its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies.”
Schiff wrote. “He's more interested in aggrandizing himself and pleasing President Putin than in protecting our allies. That would be enough to make Reagan sick.”
In addition, President Trump's remarks were used to talk about President Joe Biden, the current leading candidate in the Republican presidential primary, and the special counsel's report that described the president as an “elderly man with a poor memory.” Some have used it to draw a contrast with President Joe Biden, who has championed mental acuity. ” The White House, Biden and other allies have forcefully refuted this characterization.
“Biden: 14.8 million jobs. Lower the cost of insulin. Repair roads/bridges. Veterinarian health care. Clean up the environment. Stronger alliance. And yes, I mixed up the names of the nation's leaders. And something like this happened,” the lawmaker said. rick larsen (D-Wash)
I wrote to X, links to a clip of Trump's remarks. “Do we really have a choice?”
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which created NATO in 1949, requires each country to defend other countries in the event of attack. “The States Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more States Parties in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against all States Parties.” Article V was invoked to defend the United States after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
NATO's 31 current members have agreed to a target of spending at least 2% of GDP on defense, but some countries are falling short of that number.
The White House on Saturday night condemned President Trump's comments, calling them “calm.”
“Encouraging a brutal regime to invade its closest allies is
appallingly unstable And it risks our national security, global stability, and our domestic economy,” White House press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement.
Jason Miller was a Trump spokesperson, passionately defending the Republican presidential front-runner.
“Democrats and pearl-clutchers in the media seem to have forgotten that there were four years of peace and prosperity under President Trump,” he said in a statement Sunday, “but Europe remains under President Obama. “We experienced death and destruction under President Biden, and now we're seeing even more death and destruction,” Biden said. President Trump increased NATO spending by requiring his allies to pay up, but Joe Biden has gone back to letting them take advantage of American taxpayers. ”
Nevertheless, European leaders also joined Democrats in criticizing President Trump's comments.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, “Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines our overall security, including that of the United States, and puts American and European soldiers at further risk.'' ” he said.
“Reckless statements about #NATO security and Article 5 solidarity only serve President Putin's interests. They will not bring more security or peace to the world,” said European Council President Charles Michel.
said in X.
Other Trump critics protested as well.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, the only prominent Republican still competing with Trump for the Republican nomination, accused Trump of showing deference to Russia.
“NATO has been successful over the last 75 years. But what bothers me about this is that you can't stand on the side of thugs who kill your enemy. Invade and invade a country, Don't stand with someone who has killed and injured 500,000 people because of Putin,” Haley said in an interview on CBS's “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“Right now, we want our NATO allies to get their act together. But how can we do that without sitting there and saying to Russia, 'Do what these countries have their way with?' There is. That's not what we want,” she added.
Former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said Trump's comments were “totally inappropriate” but were “consistent with Trump's love for dictators,” the former New Jersey governor said on Sunday's NBC's “Meet the・He spoke in an interview with “Press''.
John Bolton, who previously served as President Trump's national security adviser, said that if Trump were to win a second term in the White House, the threat of withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be very serious. He said it would be realistic.
“I think it's a very real threat that he wants to leave NATO,” Bolton said on MSNBC's “This Weekend.” “I think it's a very real threat that he wants to leave NATO, which has a dramatically negative impact on the United States, not just in the North Atlantic, but around the world.” will be given,” he said. ”
But some on the right defended Trump's comments and downplayed the meaning behind his shocking remarks.
Sen. marco rubio (R-Fla.) said on CNN's “State of the Union” that he doesn't believe President Trump is actually inviting Russia to attack NATO countries. “That's not how I view that statement,” he told host Jake Tapper.
Mr. Rubio said Mr. Trump was simply talking and making his point. “He doesn't speak like a traditional politician,” Rubio added.
David Cohen contributed to this report.
