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© Thomson Reuters 2024.Republicans blast Trump over threat to abandon NATO allies
By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
58 Comments
Yubaru
This is just the beginning !
tora
Why don't NATO countries just print money and pay for it. After all, America is doing just that.
Bob Fosse
He gone done messed up big this time.
stan
When the crying from the left die down in about 24 hours, the conversation around the deadbeat NATO membership will start. As is usual, Trump is right.
Christie, Haley and Graham are all establishment lo hoo hoosers, anyway. They and the zombies rue the fact Trump brought us 4 years of peace and prosperity.
Moonraker
Proof, if you need it, Trump works for Putin.
HopeSpringsEternal
Of course, it's a Nikki talking point for campaigning and those that support her!
Trump's pressure campaign on NATO Members is if you expect the benefits of membership, then PAY UP or GET OUT. Suppose he asks same of his Golf Club Members!
It's not unreasonable for TRUMP to pressure free-riders, especially rich countries like Germany that for many decades, not spent their fair share to support NATO.
TRUMP's TRYING to create Media storm to highlight this issue with US voters, that US keeps paying NATO 'tab'.
HopeSpringsEternal
FYI, on issues related to defense, overseas, Ukraine, Israel, Mid-East, NATO, National Security, etc. Trump's polling WAY ahead of Biden. Per NBC polling last week.
Elvis is here
Let's just hope he doesn't get re-elected.
Laguna
"Nice country ya got there. Be a shame if somethin' happened to it" is what Trump's basically threatening.
He's a gangster and grifter through and through and always will be.
HopeSpringsEternal
Why Trump's billionaire and does not depend on donor class and political establishment. He's trying to disrupt in order to make things better for US and its citizenry. His NATO pressure approach reflects his political philosophy.
wallace
The last time NATO enacted Article 5 when a member state was attacked was the USA on 9/11. The day after, 10/11. NATO planes immediately flew to the US.
Bob Fosse
Hahahaha oooof my sides.
itsonlyrocknroll
Donald Trump flaws in his disposition temperament are his own worst enemy.
"No, I would not protect you. In fact I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay,"
The tone and demeaner from a "sopranos" debt collecting thug.
Diplomacy and International Politics Program
https://worldwide.harvard.edu/diplomacy-and-international-politics-program
Remember you are never too old to learn.
Jimizo
Trump on foreign policy?
The only types impressed with this would be those who can’t read a basic map.
Any revelatory information for us on how many countries the USSR broke into? Was is more than 3?
Jimizo
*was it
wallace
Trump is constantly asking for donations and selling t-shirts of his mugshot. His PAC is out of money. Big legal bills to be paid. Last week he auctioned off a car.
wallace
Trump if he becomes president will not have the authority to take the US out of NATO.
Congress approves bill barring any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO
https://thehill.com/homenews/4360407-congress-approves-bill-barring-president-withdrawing-nato/
TaiwanIsNotChina
No, violating Article 5 will still be wrong in 24 hours.
TaiwanIsNotChina
They already do and it typically isn't just printing when you aren't poor.
HopeSpringsEternal
Few here realize how little support NATO has with American voters, massive financial blackhole of NATO being subsidized by US bigtime for many decades.
Trump's INTENTIONALLY manipulating Media in order to make NATO a more relevant campaign issue.
Trump's supporters do not believe now resolved Ukraine civil war centered in the Donbas, should have resulted in NATO and Russia being at brink of War III. Those in the Donbas achieved their legal independence and Russian citizenship. Seems obvious that is irreversible.
Mr. Putin made it clear in his recent Tucker Carlson interview, those in the Donbas sought independence for Cause, 10year civil war, that's now resolved. Mr. Putin's amazed as well that NATO is so obsessed with the Donbas region, which has no strategic importance.
It seems approximately 10M former Ukrainians all call Russia their home now since 2014 as Russian citizens. This is no accident but rather their legal choice which NATO Members should respect. That's Trump's view!
TaiwanIsNotChina
As usual, utter nonsense from you.
https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2023/7/pdf/2300707-pre-summit-research-2023.pdf
Seems obvious what Russia did was illegal.
John
In addition to being a moron ignorant of the basics of alliances (and the current ramp up in defense spending by NATO members),
Trump is a proto-fascist in the thrall (and likely compromised by) of fascists like Putin.
If it weren’t funding, it would be some other made-up excuse to throw our allies under the bus.
This statement alone is disgusting, disqualifying, and won’t be able to be spun.
Every non-cult member of the electorate knows that alliances are a source of strength.
They should be reminded of the xenophobic isolationist moron’s word every day.
Thunderbird2
He truly is a waste of DNA... if he's not senile then he's clearly insane. Why would anyone vote for this idiot. Don't Americans care about appearing stupid?
John
And thanks, Don. It really puts misspeaking about the president of Egypt in it’s proper context in terms of unimportance.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Sadly anti-intellectualism is a feature and not a bug of the MAGA.
HopeSpringsEternal
If we could be so un-successful as Trump?!
Trump's message resonates because he wants to pursue global peace and security, core foundations necessary for prosperity and happiness at home and abroad!
Trump's no fan of war monger US led NATO and their track record of destabilization, death and destruction across the entire world these past few decades.
Most Americans like idea of avoiding WW III with Russia!
Jimizo
It also breeds false confidence in the uneducated. They regurgitate whatever trash is being fed on the media they consume but when they occasionally go off script, you see the void yawn open.
They think watching a guest speaking on a topic on the likes of Joe Rogan equips them with all there is to know.
wallace
Not fit for the Oval office.
HopeSpringsEternal
Trump understand TOP 1% support Biden, about 85% approval. Unfortunately for Biden, he's losing big support in ALL other demographics. Biden's NATO agenda one of many reasons why, especially Biden's eastward expansion threatening Russia and risking WW III.
TrevorPeace
A quick look at the names of those politicians who refuse to call him nuts shows Trump's supporters have caught his mental disease.
JJE
The world needs peace and prosperity. Biden has been a disaster.
Bring back the Pax Trumpana.
Onlooker
It's a ”I scratch your back, you scratch mine." situation. By now, we know very well that Trump is counting on Putin's help for this year's election. Trump is seeking just quick profits or rewards without a long term vision and policy.
Bob Fosse
We already went through that this morning. You’re wrong.
Elvis is here
Indeed. More push-ups, less high calorie food.
John
Ah yes, Raphael Cancun Cruz - the voice of reason and effective leadership, lol.
If the cult went any farther down the rabbit hole of lunacy, it’d have to bring drilling equipment.
Jimizo
Doesn’t come across that way. You seem to be quite a fan of him.
A bit of the ‘influencer’ there.
Not all. One of the criticisms of Trump is that he has always been about Trump. This came from some disappointed Trump supporters as well as his detractors.
To start, this is the man who put his family in positions of power when they were clearly unqualified.
That’s not in the interests of the country.
So ‘all’ is way off the mark.
buchailldana
The insanity levels of Trump are both jaw dropping and scary.
Cut your nose of to spite your face.
How can any rational person support this megalomaniac.
stan
of course you can. Those polls only poll.....Democrats!
itsonly - look behind you. We crossed that river a long time ago..
Ah_so
The US is a highly militarised nation and chooses to spend nearly 4% of GDP on the military. The agreed NATO level is 2% of GDP - still a fairly high target. Britain and Germany manage it, France doesn't, at only 1.5%. But most countries spend between 1.5% and 2%.
But it isn't as though the US would actually spend less on defence if others increased their expenditure. It would still spend nearly 4%.
And European armies are growing in response to Russian aggression. But Trump only ever takes a superficial view of things and treats everything like a business deal in which there are winners and losers.
itsonlyrocknroll
All can see Donald Trump coming from far and wide.
The same can be said for modern day progressives. Bernie sanders, Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren etc.
However the same cannot be said for politicians that have chameleon political qualities, ideologue, a social justice shape shifter..
Ah_so
I would have thought that years ago no one even gave it a second thought, but now Trump, presumably with the support of the Fox News and Russian intelligence services, has made it some kind of big deal and those on the MAGA right think it is some kind of major issue, without realising that NATO is effectively an extension of US military power and influence.
There were no complaints when NATO and allies were supporting American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
stan
and that's when I stopped reading LOL!
Jimizo
How the game is played to a point. Best to judge on what they deliver. Social Justice? Trump had no problem with the dreaded ‘virtue-signaling’ when hugging flags. Nobody signals virtue more than these types. Perhaps only the religious can outdo them.
Trump was hardly predictable:
Didn’t deliver on the wall.
Didn’t deliver on getting rid of the debt ( was blowing money before Covid ).
Didn’t drain the swamp.
These were key promises.
Peter14
With normal intelligent people, Trumps comments that have drawn the ire of many in the GOP, the penny would drop, and they would realize that Trump truly is dangerous to US allies, and US democracy, and that he is such a supporter of Putin he would allow Russia to invade NATO allies and fail to honor article 5, potentially endangering US alliances the world over. Trump is simply not the right person to run for the Republican party, even without the fact he is barred under the US constitution from again holding office.
Trump is a fool and a lover of enemies of the USA. Republicans need to wake up before it is too late. Haley would defeat Biden because he is too old to operate at his peak any longer. But against Trump, who cant hold office, even Biden is a better choice for president.
Bob Fosse
So, as expected you have nothing to back up your claim and have already decided you won’t accept anything that proves you wrong.
Gotcha.
HopeSpringsEternal
Stunning how many JT commenters believe US policy in Ukraine and towards Russia's somehow making world better? Trump's aghast at US led NATO Ukraine Proxy failure spreading globally, destabilizing EVERYTHING.
scarlet ios
Sure, please proceed and share the poll indicating that Americans have grown weary of NATO. I can certainly provide counter-evidence from recent polls suggesting otherwise, but I'm interested in seeing the data you're referring to first.
Peter14
What is even more stunning are the many JT commenters that believe Russia invading and trying to take over Ukraine is somehow making Europe and the world better. This is Russia's war and NATO is not involved. Many of the worlds nations including NATO nations, are helping Ukraine survive, because it is the right thing to do.
Invading a nation to annex its territory and steal its resources, at the cost of hundreds of thousands dead and many more injured for life, is not the right thing to do, not the friendly thing to do, yet misguided people wish to make out that supporters of freedom and sovereignty for Ukraine are wrong. They need to take a good hard look at themselves and their warmonger support for a criminal like Putin, because they are the ones that are wrong.
HopeSpringsEternal
Highly regarded NBC poll, just released has Trump winning on all foreign issues including NATO, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, military, border security, by double digits over Biden etc. Biden only won 2 issues, outside margin error ONLY abortion +12, as democracy was just +1.
CBS poll taken 9 months prior to election, has Biden at 37% approval, same poll 4 years ago had Trump at 46%, Obama in 2012 at 49% and Bush Jr. in 2004 at 54%.
Americans overwhelmingly support Trump's views on Ukraine & NATO per CBS polling just released.
stan
I think someone needs a lesson in what "virtue signaling" means and how the Stars and Stripes is like kryptonite to the left he was supposedly signaling.
True. He was a naughty boy. Yet illegal crossings at the southern border were down 78% during his tenure.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/border-arrests-fall-to-45-year-low-but-deportations-soar-in-trumps-first-year
and care to comment on the debt figures from Jan 20, 2021? (you don't. You won't)
Also true. But look out if he wins in November. There will be a bloodbath in the entire civil service. He won't make that mistake twice.
2 more key promises you don't mention that he hit out of the park;
The greatest economy in modern history and......NO NEW WARS.
Jimizo
I’m always willing to take lessons from the knowledgeable, honest and sincere on any topic.
These qualities are non-negotiable for me.
I’ll give it a miss if you don’t mind.
Thanks all the same.
itsonlyrocknroll
Jimizo, Donald Trump tenure in office, your analysis is a fair opinion.
I would be quick stepping into a world of whataboutery debating otherwise.
The question remains, it is difficult to ignore, Donald Trump talks, shouts, a language that provokes, that challenges mainstream political mediocracy, it is rash in nature, uncompromising, pulpit populism.
I believe that is why he bucks mainstream political thinking.
The fact still remain Putin ideology, on a another level, spectrum, on full show recently when Tucker Carlson attempted to shake him into complacency.
No western politician can simply pretend that a deal with Putin is remotely achievable.
wallace
Trump is capable of starting WW3.
Nibek32
Trump is mentally and physically sick. He should stick to the golf course.
HopeSpringsEternal
Regarding Ukraine, NATO and all key issues, the health and mental fitness of candidates is of paramount importance. They are ONE and the SAME.
Health, both mental and physical, key reason Trump's winning in polls vs. Biden. Without health, issues like NATO, Ukraine, etc., irrelevant. Voters vote on health in order to better achieve their important issues.
Most believe avoiding US NATO Russia WW III important!