Trump's Threat to Our NATO Allies
Did He Actually Say Russia Could Do Whatever It Wants to Delinquent NATO Allies?
It was widely reported that Trump said at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday that if some members of NATO do not pay NATO an amount he deems sufficient, then Putin-Russia could do whatever it wants to those countries with impunity as Trump would ignore the Article 5 Mutual Defense Treaty Obligations.
This is a stunning admission by Trump that he threatened our allies with Russian aggression. Another Trump gift to Putin. Such a statement by the leading Republican candidate shows he is either delusional or a serious threat to Europe and the U.S. or both. As voters evaluate the mental competence of the candidates, this Trump claim should be front and center.
But there is doubt that Trump ever made such outright threats to our NATO allies since if he did do so it would have resulted in public statements from European leaders, or leaks of their private statements, of Trump’s reckless disobedience of NATO Mutual Defense treaty obligations. But there were no such statements from European leaders or leaks of such statements while Trump was president.
It is more likely that Trump never said to Europe what he told the South Carolina rally. HIs “boast” to the rally audience was more likely another Trump falsehood to make his case of how powerful he would be as president even though his outrageous disrespect for Europe and his emboldening Putin, his favorite, is close to treason, if it happened.
All of this merely shows Trump’s great instability and casts serious doubt on his mental fitness and temperament to resume the Oval Office.
Compare Trump’s over the top, irresponsible behavior with Joe Biden’s careful diplomacy and steady wielding of American power. Biden has pressured Netanyahu to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza. He positioned two U.S. Aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean Sea to forestall any attacks or escalations from Iran and its Middle East proxies. He used the military to stop the Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. He retaliated with attacks on Iranian backed militias who killed American troops.
Voters need to question Trump’s mental stability when he makes public claims that he would let Putin unleash attacks on Europe with impunity.