Republican players clean up the aisle after the NATO comments by the former president
When NATO came to a South Carolina rally, Donald Trump threatened to withdraw a large part of his money to help fight Russia in the end of the Cold War
The immediate reaction was unsurprising when Donald Trump mentioned a story at his campaign rally in South Carolina about telling a European ally the US would not defend them against Russia if it spent more on defense. The White House called the story where Trump told a fellow world leader he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they wanted “appalling and unhinged”. The NATO leadership said that any attack on one would be an attack on all, while the Republican lawmakers in Washington said it was an attack on all.
The number of NATO member countries who met that obligation rose from three to seven over the course of three years. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has spurred additional military spending by some NATO members.
Trump bragged Saturday that “hundreds of billions of dollars came into NATO” because of his threats, even though countries do not pay NATO directly.
Trump went on to say the money could be loaned “ON EXTRAORDINARILY GOOD TERMS,” with no interest and no date for repayment. But he said that, “IF THE COUNTRY WE ARE HELPING EVER TURNS AGAINST US, OR STRIKES IT Someday, the loan will be paid off. The money was returned to the United States.
Donald Trump called for an end to foreign aid earlier Saturday, saying that the US should curtail how much money it gives.
Trump’s “Seriously but not literally” remarks on NATO and their impact on the U.S. and the economy in the wake of the 2024 Ukrainian Presidential Campaign
They also come as Trump and his team are increasingly confident he will lock up the nomination in the coming weeks following commanding victories in the first votes of the 2024 Republican nominating calendar.
Trump’s comments come as Ukraine remains mired in its efforts to stave off Russia’s 2022 invasion and as Republicans in Congress have become increasingly skeptical of providing additional aid money to the country as it struggles with stalled counteroffensives and weapons shortfalls.
Andrew’s response was that it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home.
Did you not pay? You’re delinquent?'” Trump explained what he had said. I wouldn’t protect you. I would encourage them to do whatever they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.'”
One of the things I’m not going to do any longer is respond to every comment Donald Trump makes and say ‘Do you still support him?’ I support him because Joe Biden is a disaster.
The inevitable cycle of Trump’s controversial statements and stances are nothing new since his first run for president in 2016, and neither are the inevitable responses and the weight those comments are given among various groups. Republican voters say to take him seriously but not practically, while many of his allies try to do either, even if it means not taking him seriously.
At the rally in S.C. on Saturday, the NATO comments should be taken into account. On the same day, Marco Rubio, a cosponsor of legislation that would prevent a president from leaving NATO without Senate approval, dismissed concerns about Trump’s assertions. “One of the things I’m not going to do any longer is respond to every comment Donald Trump makes and say, ‘Do you still support him?'” he said on CNN. I support Joe Biden because of how bad he is. The anecdote is attributed to the speaker’s speaking style. “Donald” is what he says. He stated that Trump was not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. “He doesn’t talk like a traditional politician, and we’ve already been through this. You would think people would’ve figured it out by now.”The “seriously but not literally” aspect was on display at the packed rally on the campus of Coastal Carolina University, where his NATO comments were essentially treated as a throwaway line and received little traction among the crowd.
