Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would “encourage” Russia to attack NATO members who fail to meet their financial obligations, and that it is simply not fair to commit the US to defending 30 other member nations.
Speaking at a campaign rally in South Carolina on Saturday, Trump described a conversation with another head of state at an unspecified NATO meeting:
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?’
Trump further stated today during a campaign rally:
In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.
Shortly after, the White House responded to Trump’s claims by referencing President Joe Biden’s efforts to strengthen alliances around the world:
“Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement Saturday night, adding that “Rather than calling for wars and promoting deranged chaos, President Biden will continue to bolster American leadership.”
Kate Sullivan, a CNN campaign producer covering the 2024 presidential election, had the following to say on why Trump made such a strong statement:
“Trump’s remark comes after Senate Republicans on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan bill that would have included sorely needed new funding for Ukraine, plus aid for ally Israel, along with reforms to address the US-Mexico border crisis.”
Earlier, the Senate bill highlighted Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party as its lawmakers joined in blocking any deal to deny Biden a victory on immigration ahead of the November election.
Trump in turn said that if re-elected, he would conduct a massive “deportation operation” on his first day in office. Just as the presidential campaign has previously included building a “big, beautiful wall” on the US-Mexico border, Trump reiterated on Saturday that the migrant issue will be one of his first priorities.
On day one I will terminate every open border policy of the Biden administration and we will begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. We have no choice.
The Senate is currently considering a foreign aid package that completely decouples aid from the border issue.
The package includes $95 billion, and includes funding for Israel’s fight against Hamas militants and Taiwan. But most of the funds are aimed at helping Ukraine, which is entering its third year of war and is on the verge of running out of supplies.
