Europe, NATO & National Security

Earlier this month, during a campaign stop in South Carolina, former president and presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump went off on NATO, one of his favorite punching bags. “NATO was busted until I came along,” Trump asserted. “I said, ‘Everybody’s going to pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.” To emphasize the point, Trump stated he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies that fall short of the alliance’s defense-spending standards.

The fallout was swift. Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, called Trump’s remarks “irrational and dangerous.” Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill were aghast, while others downplayed the comments as an attempt by Trump to scare the Europeans into boosting their defense budgets. During the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany this month, Trump’s words, and the prospect of a second Trump presidency, hovered over the transatlantic dignitaries like a bad cold.

About the Author

Daniel R. DePetris

Daniel R. DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a syndicated foreign affairs columnist at the Chicago Tribune.

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Earlier this month, during a campaign stop in South Carolina, former president and presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump went off on NATO, one of his favorite punching bags. “NATO was busted until I came along,” Trump asserted. “I said, ‘Everybody’s going to pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.” To emphasize the point, Trump stated he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies that fall short of the alliance’s defense-spending standards.

The fallout was swift. Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, called Trump’s remarks “irrational and dangerous.” Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill were aghast, while others downplayed the comments as an attempt by Trump to scare the Europeans into boosting their defense budgets. During the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany this month, Trump’s words, and the prospect of a second Trump presidency, hovered over the transatlantic dignitaries like a bad cold.