Donald Trump Issues Fresh Threat To NATO

Former President Donald Trump has issued another strongly worded criticism of NATO, after saying he would "encourage" Russia to attack any country that wasn't paying enough into the alliance.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested NATO has to be stronger in getting money from other countries now he is no longer in the White House.

During his time in office, Trump repeatedly threatened to withdraw the U.S. from NATO, saying it was a financial drain and that other countries weren't meeting the minimum spending requirement of 2 percent of GDP. Most NATO nations—19, by the alliance's own count in July 2023—are still failing to hit the target.

At a recent campaign rally in South Carolina, Trump told supporters that he would even "encourage" Russia to "do whatever the hell they want" to those countries that don't meet the requirement.

The White House described the remarks from Trump as "appalling and unhinged," with NATO adding that any suggestion that the Western allies would not defend each "undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk."

Writing on social media on Monday night, Trump said: "I MADE NATO STRONG, and even the RINOS and Radical Left Democrats admit that. When I told the 20 Countries that weren't paying their fair share that they had to PAY UP, and said without doing that you will not have U.S. Military Protection, the money came rolling in. After so many years of the United States picking up the tab, it was a beautiful sight to see.

"But now, without me there to say YOU MUST PAY, they are at it again. We are into helping Ukraine for more than 100 Billion Dollars more than NATO. We have nobody that they respect, and they insist on paying far less than we do. Wrong, NATO HAS TO EQUALIZE, AND NOW. THEY WILL DO THAT IF PROPERLY ASKED. IF NOT, AMERICA FIRST! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN."

During the campaign rally in South Carolina, the expected Republican nominee at the 2024 election recalled a conversation he had with another head of state at a NATO meeting. Trump said during the meeting, the unnamed president hit back at him for suggesting the U.S. would not not protect a NATO member that fails to meet its defense spending target.

"One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, 'Well, sir, if we don't pay, and we're attacked by Russia, will you protect us?' I said, 'You didn't pay, you're delinquent?'" No, I would not protect you," Trump told the crowd.

"In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills."

NATO operates under Article 5, meaning the bloc considers an attack against one allied nation as an attack against all allies. The only time that NATO has invoked Article 5 was in response to the 9/11 terror attacks against the U.S. in 2001.

President Joe Biden also condemned the remarks from his presumed challenger in November, saying that the Republican's "admission that he intends to give [Russian president Vladimir] Putin a greenlight for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic States, are appalling and dangerous."

Trump has repeatedly faced criticism for siding with or praising Putin both as president and since he left the White House.

These comments include suggesting Russia would never have invaded Ukraine if he was still in the White House because he and Putin had an understanding, and describing the tactics the Russian president used before the invasion in February 2022 as "genius" and "very savvy."

However, some NATO officials welcomed Trump's criticism of members' defense spending when he was in office, crediting him with pushing them closer to agreed targets.