President Trump is justifiably outraged at NATO

[mystery-ak]

President Trump is justifiably outraged at NATO

We gotta find a label for them other than “allies.”

Texas Hughes | April 8, 2026

It started during Trump’s first term. NATO nations balked at increasing their defense budgets to at least 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), per the actual agreement. The U.S. defense budget floated in the 4–5% GDP range, and Trump believed Europe should pay its fair share for Europe’s defense.

Europe’s craven leaders preferred to let the U.S. pay for their defense, with a disproportionate number of U.S. servicemen at risk. Their snarky socialist attitude about it is particularly irksome.

In early 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine — notably after Trump was out of office. Western European NATO nations were reluctant to help Ukraine, though the smaller economy Eastern NATO nations did make significant early weaponry and ammunition donations to Ukraine.

Western Europe’s NATO nations eventually provided Ukraine with the funds to barely keep going. U.S. aid nearly matched Europe’s. But, most significantly, this aid provided limited weaponry, and deliberately no medium or longer range weapons to attack Russia’s infrastructure. Europe’s leaders, and U.S. Democrats, clearly feared Putin’s nuclear weapons. Years later the richest Western European nations, the UK, France, Germany and Italy, made some increases in defense budgets.

Trump’s war to stop Iran from getting nuclear bombs and the missiles to carry them has Iran threatening 20% of the world’s petroleum passing through the Hormuz Strait. Europe and the rest of the world depend upon Persian Gulf oil.

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https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/04/president_trump_is_justifiably_outraged_at_nato.html

[MeganC]

As much as I like NATO it cannot go on the way it has with the USA paying for the defense of Europe and effectively subsidizing their social agendas...some of which involve mucking around in our elections.

While I do not believe we need to quit the alliance I do believe a viable first step that President Trump can execute without interference is to withdraw all American forces from the bases that are useless to us anyway. Bring those forces home or send them somewhere else. But don't keep gifting billions in military payroll money to countries that don't like us anyway.

[libertybele]

As much as I like NATO it cannot go on the way it has with the USA paying for the defense of Europe and effectively subsidizing their social agendas...some of which involve mucking around in our elections.

While I do not believe we need to quit the alliance I do believe a viable first step that President Trump can execute without interference is to withdraw all American forces from the bases that are useless to us anyway. Bring those forces home or send them somewhere else. But don't keep gifting billions in military payroll money to countries that don't like us anyway.

Ok ... I'll play along .... how exactly does NATO benefit the U.S.??

[libertybele]

Trump, Rubio face NATO chief as US moves to 'reexamine' alliance after Iran clash

Trump to reporters on NATO: "They were tested, and they failed."

"It's quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks when it's the American people who have been funding their defense," she added.

Leavitt predicted a "frank and candid" conversation between Trump and Rutte Wednesday afternoon.

Trump repeatedly has threatened to withdraw the U.S. from NATO and slammed European nations for blocking base access and providing limited help to the Iran offensive known as Operation Epic Fury.

Despite a good relationship with the head of NATO, who once called him "daddy" of the alliance, Trump has said he views NATO as a "one-way street."

"You'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us," he said to the alliance in a Truth Social post March 31.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also meets with Rutte on Wednesday, told Fox News recently: "After this conflict is concluded, we are going to have to reexamine that relationship. We're going to have reexamined the value of NATO in that alliance for our country." ...........

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-rubio-face-nato-chief-us-moves-reexamine-alliance-after-iran-clash

[MeganC]

Ok ... I'll play along .... how exactly does NATO benefit the U.S.??

Well, for one, we haven't had to fight another World War in Europe.For the last eighty years.

[DefiantMassRINO]

America should close any bases or facilities is has and UK and Spain - aka "re-alignment of America resources".

[libertybele]

Well, for one, we haven't had to fight another World War in Europe.For the last eighty years.

Wars have been fought, though not in Europe unless you want to count the numerous Russo-Ukraine conflicts .... NATO over the course of this battle has proven to be absolutely worthless.

Sorry -- what I meant to imply was NATO's involvement over the course of our conflict in Iran has been worthless.

[MeganC]

Wars have been fought, though not in Europe unless you want to count the numerous Russo-Ukraine conflicts .... NATO over the course of this battle has proven to be absolutely worthless.

There is one war by Russia against Ukraine and it started in 2014 when the Russians seized eastern Ukraine. And the only reason NATO has been useless in that war is because none of our Presidents, including Trump, were willing to stand against the Russians. Now that US influence is diminished in Ukraine only now do we see them making gains. America was holding them back because of Ukraine Derangement Syndrome and because of oil.

[libertybele]

There is one war by Russia against Ukraine and it started in 2014 when the Russians seized eastern Ukraine. And the only reason NATO has been useless in that war is because none of our Presidents, including Trump, were willing to stand against the Russians. Now that US influence is diminished in Ukraine only now do we see them making gains. America was holding them back because of Ukraine Derangement Syndrome and because of oil.

??  There have been numerous conflicts between Ukraine, Russia and other nations in the area for decades and if we want to go way back in history, centuries.  Crimean War, Ottoman Empire, Turkish-Russia War -- we can even go as far back as Napoleon ... perhaps even further .... Russia has been a bad actor, but throughout history Ukraine's 'territory' has been invaded by Mongols (1237-40), Poland (1349-1430), the Ottoman Empire, Swedish forces, and in the 20th century, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

The immediate and current conflict between Russia and Ukraine actually began in 2022, during Biden's administration of which I am of the belief that he enticed Russia to rise against Ukraine -- it was a money maker for Biden. Biden stoked the fire.

Neither Russia or Ukraine is a member of NATO, so, NATO involvement is a mute point.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_invasions_and_occupations_of_Ukraine

[MeganC]

The immediate and current conflict between Russia and Ukraine actually began in 2022

The Russian offensive in 2022 was just part of an ongoing war that started in 2014. Just because the media ignored the war up until 2022 no more means the war started that year than WW2 in Europe started on D-Day in 1944.

[Hoodat]

Ok ... I'll play along .... how exactly does NATO benefit the U.S.??

It has kept us out of a war with Germany for almost 80 years.

[MeganC]

It has kept us out of a war with Germany for almost 80 years.

It also stopped the Russians from trying to conquer all of Europe...something they actively tried to do after the German surrender in 1945. The Russians made an effort to seize Denmark so they could control the Baltic and the US and UK almost went to war with Russia at that time. The Russians were advancing and the US and UK stopped them.

The Russians also made overtures at seizing Austria and the US stopped that. The Russians tried to seize the northern island of Japan (Hokkaido) and the US stopped that.

NATO defending Europe benefitted the US because millions of Americans didn't need to go to Europe to defeat yet another menace to world peace. And Russia is a menace to world peace. They're like a comic book villain that wants to take over the world and won't be stopped until someone puts an end to him.