A Democratic Senator has said that “everyone should be scared as hell” after Trump’s comments on foreign spending, while other Republicans continue to downplay his remarks.
Congressional Concerns Rise
Several Democratic senators expressed the urgent need to safeguard NATO from Donald Trump after the former president’s controversial comments about foreign aid funding.
Democrat Senator “Scared as Hell”
Democratic lawmakers, such as Sen. Chris Van Hollen, argued that “everyone should be scared as hell” after Trump’s assertion that he would “encourage” a NATO country to be attacked due to its lack of spending on defense.
Trump Brings Up Hypothetical Scenario
In a rally in South Carolina ahead of the Presidential election, Trump spoke of a situation that he claimed to be true, where an unnamed President of a NATO ally asked him for financial support in the hypothetical event of an invasion from Russia.
Trump Insists He Would “Encourage” Invasion
In response to the hypothetical question, Trump claimed he said, “No, I would not protect you, in fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”
Trump’s “You Gotta Pay” Comments
Trump’s comments come after he claimed that NATO countries don’t spend enough to contribute to their defense, saying, “You didn’t pay? You delinquent?” and ending his rant with “You gotta pay!”
Fresh Concerns for NATO Supporters
Trump’s comments have worried NATO supporters, hinting at possible damage to the pact if he returns to the White House and the potential for him to essentially hand over Ukraine to Russia due to lack of funding.
Trump’s Threat to Democracy
“Anybody who cares about American leadership, anyone who cares about protecting democracy, anybody who wants to take on authoritarians around the world should be scared,” argued Sen. Chris Van Hollen.
Guardrails Against NATO Withdrawal
Defense policy legislation signed in December prevents unilateral U.S. withdrawal from NATO, but Democrats recognize its flaws that could allow a Trump Presidency to defy the law.
Trump Would “Throw Allies to Putin”
Sen. Van Hollen also argued that a Trump Presidency would allow NATO allies to be swallowed up by Putin’s war machine, “Donald Trump is telling us that if he was reelected president, he would throw our NATO allies to Putin.”
White House Statement
A White House spokesman said, “Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged,” and Biden recently made a statement on the matter.
Biden’s Statement on Trump’s Comments
“Donald Trump’s admission that he intends to give Putin a greenlight for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic States are appalling and dangerous,” Biden said in a statement.
Republicans Downplay Trump’s Comments
While Trump’s comments unsettled many Republicans and European leaders, some Republicans still tried to downplay them, including Senator Marc Rubio, who said, “Donald Trump is not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations,” so his comments should not be taken too seriously.
Potential Executive Actions
Democrats recognize that Trump, if re-elected, could take impactful executive actions, such as refusing to appoint an ambassador to NATO.
What a Trump Presidency Could Mean for U.S. Support
“He could just downgrade our participation,” argued Chair Jack Reed, “he won’t go to summits and the secretary of defense won’t go to defense ministerials,” suggesting Trump could suffocate the U.S. support of NATO.
Legislative Safeguards
Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for legislation to protect NATO from potential reductions in U.S. support under a future Trump presidency.
Blumenthal Urges for Different Path
“There are potentially other measures we can take, and we should begin exploring them immediately while we still have the unity of support for NATO,” Blumenthal said.
NATO General’s Admission
The NATO Secretary General Jen Stoltenberg argued that “any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security.”
Two-Tiered Approach
Trump’s history suggests he would either reward or punish European countries based on their actions.
For example, Trump has admitted he would be willing to send troops to countries that pay for defense, including Poland.
A Split Party on Trump’s Comments
Republicans are split between Trump’s comments being a sign of strength, arguing that Russia did not invade Ukraine under him for that reason.
Other Republicans believe it’s a direct weakness and could be detrimental to US national security.
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