White House hopeful Donald Trump said on Saturday he would “encourage” Russia to attack members of NATO who had not met their financial obligations, his most extreme broadside against the military alliance he has long expressed skepticism about.
With US lawmakers debating new aid for Ukraine ahead of the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion, the former president has repeatedly said it was unfair to commit the United States to defending NATO’s 30 other member nations.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM!
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
Speaking at a campaign rally in South Carolina Saturday, Trump described a conversation with a fellow 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?’”
“No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
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.
The White House hit back at Trump’s assertions, touting President Joe Biden’s efforts to bolster alliances around the globe.
The Day After: If Europe is Left to Fend for Itself
“Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement Saturday night.
“Rather than calling for wars and promoting deranged chaos, President Biden will continue to bolster American leadership,” Bates added.
“Deportation operation”
The Senate bill’s death highlighted Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party, as its lawmakers acceded to the former president’s calls to torpedo any deal in order to deny Biden a win on immigration ahead of November’s election.
At the rally Saturday, Trump celebrated the collapse of the legislation, vowing that, if reelected, he would carry out a massive “deportation operation” on his first day in office.
“Let’s not forget that this week we also had another massive victory that every conservative should celebrate. We crushed crooked Joe Biden’s disastrous open borders bill,” Trump declared at a rally in South Carolina.
“The whole group did a great job in Congress.”
Trump – whose first presidential campaign featured a central plank of building a “big, beautiful wall” on the US-Mexico border – on Saturday declared that deporting migrants would be one of his first tasks.
“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 now considering a foreign aid package that decouples the aid from the border issue entirely.
The $95 billion package set to be debated next week includes funding for Israel’s fight against Hamas militants and for key strategic ally Taiwan. The lion’s share, however, would help Ukraine restock depleted ammunition supplies, weapons and other crucial needs as it enters a third year of war.
Haley’s husband
At the South Carolina rally, Trump needled Nikki Haley, his former UN ambassador who is also seeking the Republican Party’s nomination, though her bid is almost certainly doomed as she badly trails her ex-boss in the race.
Addressing voters in Haley’s home state, Trump questioned the whereabouts of her husband Michael, who has not been seen on the campaign trail as he is on a year-long military deployment to the Horn of Africa country of Djibouti.
“Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away. He’s away. What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband,” he said, raising his voice for dramatic effect.
Haley clapped back on social media platform X.
“Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief,” she said.
And Michael Haley had his own message for Trump, tagging the candidate in a post on X that was accompanied by a close-up photo of a wolf overlaid with the text: “The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never let the dumbest ones lead the pack.”
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
Comments (21)
MR, Donald Trump will be back in the White House soon. Time for you to suck on a big cock.
@Jack Griffin, From one of the most reputable international news services on the planet. APNEWS. "Donald Trump said that, as president, he warned NATO allies that he “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” ....putinrump thought he would state that publicly just in case putin did not already know.
The USA is a huge asset to NATO. Counting military aid to Ukraine which in effect de-risks a near term Russian attack on a NATO there are currently 21 members that meet the 2% threshold. Others have plans to meet this recommended contribution shortly. Some don't and that is not fair. Continued pressure is merited.
However something is better than nothing as a fairer deal is pursued. Allowing an ally to be conquered in the interim by Russia raises the threat to all. It gives russia that allies' resources.
Hypothetically if you WERE an American (not), you would be worried about the growing autocratic alliance that now states it wants a new world where USA has no say. In its dis-untied state can the USA currently survive against the combined forces of russia, china, Iran, north korea and each's other allies?
Would it stand a better chance with NATO and other foreign allies help. YES!
The USA should not be so quick to discard its allies.
With all the well documented putin thugs evil in Ukraine, the world gasps in shock at the MRGA leaders' continued callousness. Always siding with the wealthy russian tyrant; always bashing Ukraine and its allies. Constantly rotating through excuses for why putin and why the USA will not help. Always dismissing another victims suffering in the most crass way possible. Always boiling down things down to "what's in it for me".
It does not care about illegal immigration. It's administration let twice as many criminal immigrants stay in the USA as did Obama. It is not concerned with building a border wall. Its' presidential advisor Bannon and 3 affiliates did jail time for embezzling millions from private funds raised for that. Putinrump pardoned him. It is not concerned with fixing deportation policy or increasing border enforcement. It's MRGA minions block any related legislation.
It wants absolute power, It wants vengeance against independent thinkers, It wants his payoff. "It wants its ring". Lost lives in Ukraine, allied countries, and America itself are of no consequence in its decision making.
That so many Americans there still worship this false idol is scary.
America how can you return to greatness when putinrump leadership will not unify your nation, share its core values, nor comply with its laws?
Well, Ukraine and its civilians could use a break from being the target of vegenful russian attacks ,so perhaps European countries that spend less than 2 percent can take some of the heat and taunt russia to attack them instead. Also Ukraine spends 25 times the 2 percent needed for NATO so by Trump logic Ukraine should be added into NATO immediately.
I read every day the articles on some Spanish on-line papers and feel ashamed by the illiterate scunbags that support our Presidente, Pedro Sanchez, who has no moral, no integrity, who can change his mind from one day to the other, lie without any remorse, etc. etc. When I can´t believe the number of stupid people in Spain, I read the comments on Kyiv Post supporting Scunbag Trump, much more despicable that Pedro Sanchez, with much less culture and decency, I have to admit that I am happy to live in Europe, far from that mass of scunbags that fill their homes with weapons, just in case someone decent comes close to them and tries to talk with any sense.
No problem JOHN affiliated supporters.
It is my pleasure and great honour to continue to serve Ukraines' courageous defence.
Even if sometimes it makes people who take on multiple identities to falsely build their 'Street Creds' on these forums look silly...myself included.
Thanks "JOHN"and "A SECOND PERSON WHO IN ALL HONESTY MIGHT ALSO BE JOHN".
You guys are great. I could not have said it better myself. Keep up the good work!
@John, John thank you for your ongoing brilliant rebuttals to the MGRA trolls. You are a great addition to the putinrump troll fighting cause.
@"Jack Griffin", @"Seven Landon" @"Bob Boomhauer" (the 3 amigos occupying one troll brain?).
Why are you so whiny today?
I wonder if putinrump did not feed its children today?
Maybe the MRGA fundraising has not gone well, and after illegally diverting so much PAC money for putinrumps 81 felony charge defence (and paying for Melania's $108K hairdo), perhaps troll payroll is now in jeopardy?
Did the MRGA troll team get told it was not trying hard enough and that hurt your feelings...because...well you know...you did the best you could given your truncated education (detox takes time) and mental shortcomings (home-brew methanol poisoning)?
I'd like to get at least 3 MRGA troll responses to this post.
Thank you Jack Grffin! And don’t forget that John whatever the fuck his name is. Another coward dem pile of shit.
President Trump is talking the talk and walking the walk. Can’t wait to see him back in the White House.
@Finn Bjerrehave, I believe there is now sufficient scientific proof that they are actually a single parasitic entity. One brain shared by two bodies. One's mouth controlling the latter's rump, the other’s mouth acting as the latter’s sphincter.
Further research is required to understand this new ‘sputnik symbiote’ species, but for now the scientific community is classifying this globally dangerous alien entity simply as 'Putinrump'.
Lower IQ humans and possibly also devious GOP rats are assessed to be particularly at risk to its mind control ability. The infected are often seen chanting “MAGA”.
Contact with either manifestation should be avoided.
@ThoughtLife.God, A minor correction in that currently only 12 NATO members meet the 2% GDP contribution recommended target. This remains an embarrassment to the citizens of under-contributing nations like my own.
However if you factor in the individual nation's military donations to Ukraine (who it is fair to say is also reducing NATO members risk,), then 21 of the 31 members spent >2% on military defence the last 2 year.s The number would increase again if factoring the separate group EU / ECC budget contributions to Ukraine's military if that was prorated to each dual EU / NATO member state. Fortunately the Biden administration was able to unify most NATO members in externally also supporting Ukraine due to the NATO threat a Ukraine loss represents. The 2 latest NATO members recognized putins growing threat and are most welcome. Their joining can also be considered joint EU/ Biden Admin success in pressuring Turkey and Hungary to agree.
Still there is more to be done to improve NATO. Allies must move towards a manufacturing war fitting and avoid electing future leadership now openly inviting the Kremlin to attack NATO member countries without US response (as per criminal presidential candidate 'putinrump' in this article)
So if you think the world is way too chaotic now vote accordingly.
Thank goodness President Donald J Trump is running for office. Come November the United States can begin the long road to recovery from the imbecile running the country into the shitter.
Trump talking about people not paying their bills is absurd. Anyone can do a quick search and find out that Trump has a long documented history of not paying people that have done work for him. The guy has zero integrity.
As EU-Nato-partners, we were in Afghanistan for 20 years. Without any complaints about how long it took. During that same period, some of us were coerced to help out in Irak. An ill-judged invasion that led to the rise of Isis.
Ever since, we’ve been spending billions of Euros on fighting Isis in the Middle-East and on countering terrorist attacks on European soil.
Our bills on domestic security have quadrupled and even though they are a result of USA military faillures, this money is not seen as defence spenditure. If it was, we would easily meet the 2% Nato-target.
Have we complained about this to the Americans? No we haven’t, yet still we get this whining story about how we are not pulling our weight. Sigh.
When Trump was president he said Europe must pull the finger and do their bit towards Nato. And offcourse Biden was eating ice cream that time. So Europe you all shitholes, some did reach their 2 % Rest is still sleeping .
Hvad tænker Ukraine, hvem er farligst Putin eller Trump ???????????
@Finn Bjerrehave,
Helt seriøst? Når Trump er valgt, vil han afslutte Putins aggression om 24 timer.
@Finn Bjerrehave, I believe there is now sufficient scientific proof that they are actually a single parasitic entity. One brain shared by two bodies. One's mouth controlling the latter's rump, the other’s mouth acting as the latter’s sphincter.
Further research is required to understand this new ‘sputnik symbiote’ species, but for now the scientific community is classifying this globally dangerous alien entity simply as 'Putinrump'.
Lower IQ humans and possibly also devious GOP rats are assessed to be particularly at risk to its mind control ability. Contact with either manifestation should be avoided.
The infected are often seen chanting “MAGA”.
You gotta pay up!
This isn't news! Trump was retelling a story about a conversation he had with an anonymous NATO member who confronted him over his threat not to defend members who fail to meet the trans-Atlantic alliance’s defense spending targets. Do you know why this anonymous NATO member confronted Trump? Because he was behind in his payments!
“‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’” Trump recounted saying. “‘No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.’”
You gotta pay up! It's only been since this war began that “some” members have begun paying their fare share. For decades through high taxes, the citizens of the U.S. paid for just about everyone. Why should we do that? Why shouldn't NATO nations pay their own way? Why should I, an American tax payer, pay the way of selfish nations that refuse to pay their fair share?
NATO allies agreed in 2014, after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, to halt the spending cuts they had made after the Cold War and move toward spending 2% of their GDPs on defense by 2024.
NATO reported that 7 of what are now 31 NATO member countries were meeting that obligation — up from three in 2014. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spurred additional military spending by some NATO members. Only 7 of 31 nations are paying their fare share. The tax paying U.S. citizens are paying for the 24 nations who refuse to pay their own way.
@ThoughtLife.God, If you’re a superpower, you have to be ready to shoulder that responsibility. The same cretins who constantly say they want to “make America great,” advocate a complete withdrawal from the world stage. Someone will always fill a power vacuum. In this case it would be China, which you guys are always complaining about. Is that what you want? The question is rhetorical, you don’t need to trot out some tired russian propaganda, or an out-of-context Bible verse to counter me.
The sad orc trolls is rushing to the orc troll farm on their skateboards. Who will be first? Soviet idiots