Messaging Guidance:
Trump’s Abandonment of NATO
February 2024
Background:
On February 10, 2024, Trump offered his most provocative statement to date on NATO, indicating he would “encourage” Russia to attack NATO allies who don’t pony up enough money for defense.
The comments build on Trump’s history of distancing himself from NATO and its mutual defense requirements:
In 2016, he said NATO was “obsolete” and questioned whether it was worth the investment. He suggested the United States might not defend Baltic countries, despite the requirement in Article 5 of NATO’s charter to treat an attack on one member as an attack on all.
In 2017, he declined to affirm Article 5.
In 2018, he hinted at pulling out of the alliance and suggested the United States shouldn’t have to defend Germany or Montenegro.
And in 2022, he bragged that as president he had explicitly threatened not to defend NATO allies from Russia.
Talking Points:
Donald Trump’s abandonment of NATO is a gift to Vladimir Putin and a threat to American national security. This time, he didn’t just abandon our most important allies – he actively encouraged Russia to attack them.
These comments are shocking, but they are not a surprise. They’re consistent with his behavior for many years now – a striking example of how Donald Trump prioritizes himself and his relationships with autocrats over the security of the American people and our allies around the world.
NATO isn’t a protection racket – NATO is the most powerful and successful alliance in history. NATO faced down the Communist bloc in the Cold War and today provides security for approximately one billion people in Europe and North America.
If you want to understand how important NATO truly is, look no further than our adversaries – who are doing everything in their power to undermine it. Russia and China seek to weaken our alliance at every turn because they view NATO as an existential threat to their global ambitions.
The most important advantage the United States has in a conflict is not our individual power, but our network of allies, partners, and friends. The 31 nations that make up our alliance account for more than 3.3 million troops on duty and $1.25 trillion in annual defense spending – the most powerful and well-resourced defense force in history.
In the event of a conflict, this alliance will, of course, be critical. But perhaps even more important is the powerful deterrence NATO provides to our aggressive and ambitious adversaries, particularly Russia and China. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reminded us, “If Ukraine had been part of NATO before the war, there would have been no war” with Russia.
Serving as Commander-in-Chief is the ultimate responsibility, and Donald Trump has made clear time and again that he is not up to the job of keeping the American people safe. This isn’t behavior becoming of a strong and responsible American leader. They’re the words of a weak and self-centered man who will appease autocrats and surrender our interests and values in the service of himself.
The American people and the world deserve better from an American President.