A Look Back at Trump’s Broadsides Against NATO Allies
NYT > U.S. > Politics — 2026-07-08 01:07:00 — www.nytimes.com
Trump’s Longstanding Attacks on NATO: False Claims, Threats, and Insults
Donald Trump has made NATO a frequent target, repeatedly criticizing the alliance and its members with a series of false claims, threats, and disparaging remarks. As NATO leaders gathered in Ankara, Turkey, Trump again berated allies for not supporting the U.S. in its war against Iran, stating, “Italy turned us down, and Germany turned us down, and France turned us down,” and adding, “And in a way, I was testing people.”
Military Spending: Accusations and Threats
Trump has consistently accused NATO members of being “delinquent” in their military spending, portraying them as freeloaders benefiting from what he calls Washington’s “one-way” protection. In 2018, he referred to Americans as “the schmucks that are paying for the whole thing.” When Spain was the only NATO member not to commit to a large increase in military spending, Trump labeled the country a “laggard” and floated the idea of punishing Spain with higher tariffs, saying, “I’m very unhappy with Spain. I was thinking of giving them trade punishment through tariffs because of what they did.” He escalated his rhetoric further by threatening to end all trade with Spain after Madrid refused U.S. military access for the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran—though none of these threats materialized.
Undermining Collective Defense
Trump has repeatedly questioned NATO’s core principle of collective defense, as outlined in Article 5 of the alliance’s founding charter. He told reporters, “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them.” At a 2024 campaign rally, he went further, recounting his response to a hypothetical scenario in which Russia attacked a NATO member that had not “paid up”: “No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You’ve got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
Casting Doubt on Defending Allies
Trump has also cast doubt on whether the U.S. would defend smaller NATO members, using Montenegro as an example. In 2018, he described Montenegro as “a tiny country with very strong people,” and suggested that defending it could lead to global conflict: “They may get aggressive, and congratulations, you’re in World War III.”
Dismissing NATO Contributions
Trump has minimized the contributions of NATO allies, particularly regarding military operations. In a Fox Business interview, he claimed, “We have never really asked anything of them. You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, little off the front lines.” This remark drew strong criticism from Britain, which lost 457 service members during the Afghanistan war—the only time NATO’s collective security agreement was invoked.
Conclusion
Trump’s record on NATO is marked by a pattern of false statements, exaggerations, and open hostility toward allies. His rhetoric has repeatedly undermined the alliance’s unity and questioned the U.S. commitment to mutual defense, raising concerns among America’s closest partners and drawing sharp rebukes from leaders abroad. As NATO continues to play a critical role in global security, Trump’s statements and threats remain a significant point of contention within the alliance.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/world/europe/trump-nato-criticism.html