The White House on Saturday criticized former President Donald Trump’s “astonishingly chaotic” comments urging Russia to “do whatever it wants” to NATO members that fail to meet defense spending guidelines.
Trump made the comments Saturday during a campaign speech in Conway, South Carolina.
“NATO was falling apart before I came along,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Everyone will pay.’ They said, ‘If we don’t pay, will you protect us?’ I said, “Absolutely not.” They couldn’t believe the answer. ”
The former U.S. president said that “one of the presidents of a great power” once asked him if the United States would still defend his country if Russia invaded, even if he didn’t pay.
President Trump teases Haley by asking where her deployed husband is: “Where is he?” He’s gone.”
Trump made the comments Saturday during a campaign speech in Conway, South Carolina. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“No, I’m not going to protect you,” Trump recalled telling the country’s leader. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever they want to do. You have to pay. You have to pay your bills.”
Later Saturday, the White House said Trump’s comments were “remarkable and unfazed,” while also noting President Biden’s efforts to strengthen the alliance.
“President Biden has restored our alliances and made us stronger around the world, because the first responsibility of any commander-in-chief is to keep Americans safe,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates. , because he knows it’s about staying true to the values that unite us.” statement. “Thanks to President Biden’s experienced leadership, NATO is now our largest and most important entity ever. Encouraging a brutal regime to invade our closest allies is terrifying. , is unrestricted and endangers U.S. national security, global stability, and the domestic economy.” ”
“Rather than calling for war or promoting chaotic chaos, President Biden will continue to strengthen American leadership and stand up *for* rather than against our national security interests. ” Bates continued.
NATO stipulates that an attack against one member state is an attack against all states in the alliance. President Trump has previously taken issue with how little other NATO countries spend on defense compared to what the United States is paying. He has repeatedly threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO in the past.
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Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates said Trump’s comments were “astounding and disturbing.” (Getty Images)
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Alliance guidelines set a goal for each member state to allocate at least 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) to defense spending to ensure the alliance’s military readiness; The country has not achieved this. However, this figure is only a guideline, not a legal requirement, and does not mean that member states do not pay their share of NATO’s common budget to run the organization.
According to NATO’s website, allies with current defense spending as a percentage of GDP below this figure should “stop any decline and aim to increase defense spending in real terms in line with GDP growth, within 10 years.” “We aim to move towards the 2% guideline.” It aims to achieve NATO capability objectives and fill NATO capability gaps. ”
FOX News’ Jackie Heinrich contributed to this report.
