Trump blasts NATO for Failing to Support the U.S. in Conflict with Iran
President Donald Trump strongly criticized NATO allies that have not assisted the United States and Israel in the joint military operation against Iran, suggesting the U.S. may reconsider its involvement in the alliance.
While speaking at the Future Investment Initiative, an investment conference in Miami Beach sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Trump remarked that “NATO just wasn’t there” when he called for assistance.
“We’re very disappointed, by the way, with NATO. They didn’t come to our aid,” he remarked.
He mentioned French President Emmanuel Macron by name, explaining that he offered to send aid after the conflict was over, which Trump found unhelpful. He added that the alliance made “a big mistake” by distancing their countries from the conflict.
“We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO, protecting them, and we would have always been there for them,” Trump said. “But now, based on their actions, I guess we don’t have to be.”
“Why would we be there for them if they’re not there for us?” he added.
His comments echoed his opinion from a Truth Social post on Thursday.
“NATO NATIONS HAVE DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP WITH THE LUNATIC NATION … OF IRAN,” he wrote. “THE U.S.A. NEEDS NOTHING FROM NATO, BUT “NEVER FORGET” THIS VERY IMPORTANT POINT IN TIME!”
The lack of assistance from the European allies seemingly confirms a long-held negative opinion of Trump’s.
“I’ve always said NATO’s a paper tiger,” Trump said at the conference. “And I’ve always said we help NATO, but they’ll never help us.”
Last week, he posted to Truth Social, “Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear-Powered Iran.”
In his first term, he told leaders at a NATO summit in 2018 that he would do his “own thing” if the allies did not raise their defense budgets to 2% of gross domestic product by January.
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