Trump Riles Critics With Anecdote About NATO Spending Negotiations | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire. The author of this post is Daniel Chaitin.

    Former President Donald Trump stirred controversy on Saturday as he revived a long-running critique of NATO over how much its member nations contribute financially to the alliance, alluding to his hardball negotiation tactics with other world leaders on the subject.

    During an event in South Carolina, Trump spoke of how NATO, which has a 2% minimum GDP defense investment guideline for members, was "busted" until he got allied countries to increase their spending under pressure to do more to assist the United States in propping up the collective.

    "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? He said, 'Yes, let's say that happened.' No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay," Trump said.

    Some critics took Trump's comments as suggesting he would allow the United States to neglect its Article 5 duties if Russia were to attack one of its NATO allies.

    "Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged - and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home," said White House spokesman Andrew Bates.

    Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Trump's last-remaining rival in the GOP primary contest who served as his ambassador to the United Nations, said on CBS, "The last thing we ever want to do is side with Russia."


    NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg responded with a statement that said "any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk."

    Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who has endorsed Trump in the 2024 election, told CNN he had "zero concerns" about Trump's latest comments on NATO.

    "What he's basically saying is, if you see the comments, he said NATO was broke or busted until he took over because people weren't paying their dues. And then he told the story about how he used leverage to get people to step up to the plate and become more active in NATO," Rubio said.

poll#201

Considering what real news is available for all to witness, and in great specificity, should one pursue what is true outside of the channeled realm of the corrupt corporate /legacy media, and: Is Institutionalized Corruption real, and is it a hindrance to sustaining our Constitutional Republic now, and for future generations of American citizens?

  Yes

  No

  Not sure

450 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?

poll#178

Considering the current overwhelming obstacles inflicting stress upon America's working class: rampant inflation; energy insecurity; supply chain turmoil; banking failures; foreign policy disasters; government corruption; (DEI) Diversity Equity Inclusion narrative, with WOKE extremes practiced; Climate Change ideology; intractable crime wave in Leftist cities; wide open border by executive design; a permanently discredited Legacy Media; failed or failing education industry, just to name a few of the many: Who should Americans blame?

  Donald J. Trump

  Joseph R. Biden

  Leftist controlled Congress for the last 4 years.

  Bloated, incompetent bureaucracy weaponized and poorly managed

  The electorate, US, for putting these fools in elected office that utterly fail

278 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?

poll#125

Since only about 20% of the News Media has any shred of Journalistic Integrity remaining: How does our Constitutional Republic continue without a "Free Press"?

  Demand real information, using real sources, backed up by facts.

  Promote real journalist entities only, and admonish those that prostitute their profession.

  We Democratic Socialists are doing just fine, thank-you, by promoting lies while having very little real knowledge about so much.

260 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?

poll#128

Where do you stand on the wanton censorship by Big Tech Platforms, while retaining their Section 230 carveout indemnifying them for Slander /Defamation lawsuits and Copyright infringements?

  Big Tech Platforms have the right to Censor all speech providing they voluntarily relinquish their Section 230 Carveout.

  Big Tech Platforms DO NOT have the right to Censor any speech, while retaining multiple indemnifications by virtue of the Section 230 Carveout.

  I know nothing of this 230 talk, but "I do love me some social media".

476 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?