Trump says NATO will not come to rescue if US attacked

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Trump says NATO will not come to rescue if US attacked
 

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump has said that he does not believe NATO would come to the United States’ rescue if it came under attack, once again voicing his disdain for the military bloc.

“We’re paying for NATO, and we don’t get so much out of it,” Trump said on Saturday, speaking to a crowd of supporters at a presidential campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“And you know – I hate to tell you this about NATO – if we ever needed their help, let’s say we were attacked, I don’t believe they’d be there. I know the people,” he added.

Trump once again cast doubt on Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which says an armed attack against one member state must be considered an attack against all of them.

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/28/719025/Trump-%E2%80%93-NATO-won%E2%80%99t-defend-US

One thing I'll say about Trump -- he never lets actual facts get in the way of his policies.

[roamer_1]

Trump says NATO will not come to rescue if US attacked
 
One thing I'll say about Trump -- he never lets actual facts get in the way of his policies.

He has all he can do mumbling around his foot.

[LMAO]

 
One thing I'll say about Trump -- he never lets actual facts get in the way of his policies.

No, he does not

He’s proposing a lot of things that don’t  add up. Like his idea that we could drill enough oil to pay for Social Security.

But he doesn’t need facts. As long as his supporters believe all of this, that’s all that matters

[kevindavis007]

He has all he can do mumbling around his foot.

Maybe we shouldn't nominate a organge tinted person who is close Biden's age.

[Hoodat]

NATO has been doing what Trump asked by increasing their defense budgets and taking on more of the costs of NATO defense.  Trump shouldn't be saying this.

[LMAO]

Maybe we shouldn't nominate a organge tinted person who is close Biden's age.

That ship has sailed

What do conservatives do now?

[DefiantMassRINO]

NATO backed US in Afghanistan after 9/11.  Many NATO nations suffered casualties in Afghanistan fighting with the US.

 

NATO nations stayed in Afghanistan, even after Bush '43 stopped looking for Osama bin Laden in 2003.

[massadvj]

Maybe he is playing 5-dimensional chess, or whatever, but I don't see how this benefits him politically. It just feeds into the narrative that he is a stooge of Putin and reckless in terms of diplomacy. He needs the globalist wing of the GOP to win the general, unless he is goading someone to run third party.

[roamer_1]

Maybe we shouldn't nominate a organge tinted person who is close Biden's age.

Though my convictions might be for different reasons, I can agree here, emphatically.

[Hoodat]

NATO backed US in Afghanistan after 9/11.  Many NATO nations suffered casualties in Afghanistan fighting with the US.

 

NATO nations stayed in Afghanistan, even after Bush '43 stopped looking for Osama bin Laden in 2003.

And when we decided to bail, we left them to fend for themselves without an evacuation base.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

NATO backed US in Afghanistan after 9/11.  Many NATO nations suffered casualties in Afghanistan fighting with the US.

 

NATO nations stayed in Afghanistan, even after Bush '43 stopped looking for Osama bin Laden in 2003.

Exactly the point.  Article V, which is the specific article he mentioned, has only been invoked once in NATO's entire history, and only on behalf of one country.  That was when NATO invoked Article V to come to the defense of the U.S. after 9/11.  So when Trump says:

“And you know – I hate to tell you this about NATO – if we ever needed their help, let’s say we were attacked, I don’t believe they’d be there. I know the people,” he added.

He's either lying deliberately, or is an ignorant fool.  And the status/history of our most important military alliance is a VERY big deal.

[berdie]

Exactly the point.  Article V, which is the specific article he mentioned, has only been invoked once in NATO's entire history, and only on behalf of one country.  That was when NATO invoked Article V to come to the defense of the U.S. after 9/11.  So when Trump says:

He's either lying deliberately, or is an ignorant fool.  And the status/history of our most important military alliance is a VERY big deal.

FWIW...I vote ignorant fool. History is not his strong point.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

FWIW...I vote ignorant fool. History is not his strong point.

I agree.  What is frightening to contemplate his how much of his other thoughts are based on similar ignorance, which is especially dangerous when coupled with his typical arrogance that he is always correct.

[Fishrrman]

He's right.
Again.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

He's right.
Again.

Well, there we go. Facts.apparently don't matter to his supporters either.

Biden's foreign policy is horrible, but Trump's is just as bad.  Wrong differently.

[libertybele]

That ship has sailed

What do conservatives do now?

??? Well, it's either Trump or Haley. Joy!

[The_Reader_David]

More nonsense.

The only time Article 5 was ever invoked was in response to 9/11, and NATO helped in Afghanistan.  The Brits held down Helmand Province, and there were stories about the Norwegian shouting "Til Valhal" (To Valhalla) when going into battle with the Taliban.

[corbe]

Any minute now I’m expecting all hell to break loose
People are crazy and times are strange
If the Bible is right, the world will explode

B. Dylan

[Maj. Bill Martin]

More nonsense.

The only time Article 5 was ever invoked was in response to 9/11, and NATO helped in Afghanistan.  The Brits held down Helmand Province, and there were stories about the Norwegian shouting "Til Valhal" (To Valhalla) when going into battle with the Taliban.

There's really no way to counter a guy who lies/is so openly ignorant when his supporters don't care.  It's all just "narrative".  They don't like NATO, so they'll just accept any Trump lie about NATO as long as it is negative.  I know there are those who don't like him but are voting for him because they don't want Biden, and I'm not going to criticize them.  I personally just can't do it again.

[LMAO]

There's really no way to counter a guy who lies/is so openly ignorant when his supporters don't care.  It's all just "narrative".  They don't like NATO, so they'll just accept any Trump lie about NATO as long as it is negative.  I know there are those who don't like him but are voting for him because they don't want Biden, and I'm not going to criticize them.  I personally just can't do it again.

I didn’t vote for him in 2016 but did in 2020. I just can’t vote for him in good conscience this year

I also understand there is a difference between those that are in the vote for him, because they can’t stomach for more years of Biden vs the true MAGA believers.

When it comes to his MAGAs, their ignorance is his greatest asset

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I didn’t vote for him in 2016 but did in 2020. I just can’t vote for him in good conscience this year

I'm really concerned about his stance on Russia, Ukraine, and NATO.  I know others disagree, but I believe NATO is an incredibly valuable, stabilizing force in the West.  Trump may well abandon it.   I also think he is actually pro-Putin, mostly because Putin flatters him.

[Free Vulcan]

I don't think it's a matter of Will, it's a matter of Can. They can barely defend themselves.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I don't think it's a matter of Will, it's a matter of Can. They can barely defend themselves.

In an era when special operations forces carry a large part of the burden, smaller militaries can still contribute a lot.  Also, Finland and Sweden were both very significant recent additions.

[Free Vulcan]

In an era when special operations forces carry a large part of the burden, smaller militaries can still contribute a lot.  Also, Finland and Sweden were both very significant recent additions.

True but I don't see them being able to project power much beyond their borders. Even the big dogs of France, UK and Germany seem about half impotent anymore.

They may send a token force, but it will be up to our military, civilians, and maybe Canada to defend the USA.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

True but I don't see them being able to project power much beyond their borders. Even the big dogs of France, UK and Germany seem about half impotent anymore.

They may send a token force, but it will be up to our military, civilians, and maybe Canada to defend the USA.

Again, many of them did send troops to Afghanistan, some of which were very active.

Anyway, the point is that for Trump to just insult them as if they lack the honor to fulfill their Article V obligations, and completely ignoring Afghanistan, is inexcusable.