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Trump Complains America Leads Too Much, Wants Diminished Role in NATO
Washington Free Beacon ^ | March 21, 2016 | Stephen Gutowski

Posted on 03/21/2016 2:36:29 PM PDT by GodGunsGuts

Trump Complains America Leads Too Much, Wants Diminished Role in NATO

Calls America a 'poor country'

Republican front-runner Donald Trump expressed his distaste for how often America takes a leadership role in international affairs on Monday.

Trump was specifically upset with the role the United States plays in NATO.

“Ukraine is a country that affects us far less than it affects other countries in NATO, and yet we’re doing all of the lifting,” Trump told The Washington Post.

“They’re not doing anything. And I say, ‘Why is it that Germany’s not dealing with NATO on Ukraine? Why is it that other countries that are in the vicinity of Ukraine, why aren’t they dealing? Why are we always the one that’s leading, potentially the third world war with Russia.’”

Trump told the paper’s editorial board that the United States could not afford to play the same leadership role in world affairs it has played for decades.

“I do think it’s a different world today, and I don’t think we should be nation-building anymore,” he said. “I think it’s proven not to work, and we have a different country than we did then. We have $19 trillion in debt. We’re sitting, probably, on a bubble. And it’s a bubble that if it breaks, it’s going to be very nasty.

“I just think we have to rebuild our country.”

Trump then said that the United States is not rich anymore and, therefor, can’t afford to maintain its leadership role in the international military partnership.

“We certainly can’t afford to do this anymore,” he told the paper. “NATO is costing us a fortune, and yes, we’re protecting Europe with NATO, but we’re spending a lot of money. South Korea is very rich, great industrial country, and yet we’re not reimbursed fairly for what we do. We’re constantly sending our ships, sending our planes, doing our war games—we’re reimbursed a fraction of what this is all costing.”

Instead, Trump labeled America a poor country.

“I think we were a very powerful, very wealthy country, and we are a poor country now,” he said. “We’re a debtor nation.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; Russia; US: New York; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2016election; cruz; election2016; europeanunion; israel; kasich; nato; newyork; obamas3rdterm; russia; trump; ukraine; waronterror
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To: exit82

Trump is 100% correct! Just look at the countries of the world that in times past were ruling the roost and protecting everyone. Great Britain doesn’t have enough money now to run their own country, and yet a century or more ago, Britannia ruled the seas. There is no reason we have to be the world’ policeman, and if we continue to try, we will end up a broke, second-rate power for our efforts. As for Europe, those bastards have sat back ever since the end of WWII and let us provide the wherewithall to keep them safe. Ditto for the Japanese, and it’s time for them to take over their own defense with us only as a backup.


41 posted on 03/21/2016 2:51:56 PM PDT by vette6387 (Obama can go to hell!)
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To: Happy Rain
Cruz supporters are Reagan Conservatives...meaning a strong military and a secure world for freedom.

And you can do that without involving yourself endlessly in every ones business.

99% of those here were against the US policing ever ones back yard but now that Trump says the same thing there is a gaggle of hypocrites bashing him for it.

We're broke and getting weak, get it?

42 posted on 03/21/2016 2:52:25 PM PDT by Las Vegas Ron ("Medicine is the keystone in the arch of Socialism" Vladimir Lenin)
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To: Happy Rain
And by the way, if Cruz were saying this I'd be behind him a 100%.

Question is, where is he?

He's slamming Putin vs. Trump instead of the Obama Castro love fest....spit.

43 posted on 03/21/2016 2:54:10 PM PDT by Las Vegas Ron ("Medicine is the keystone in the arch of Socialism" Vladimir Lenin)
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To: dfwgator

Yeah, Tokyo got crushed by Godzilla. Europe gets destroyed by a whole herd of dinosaur - the Lickalotapus.


44 posted on 03/21/2016 2:55:05 PM PDT by meadsjn
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To: GodGunsGuts

But if we are not doing all the heavy lifting for NATO, how will ensure the foreign policy goals of the EU are addressed?/s


45 posted on 03/21/2016 2:55:31 PM PDT by DesertRhino ("I want those feeble mined asses overthrown,,,)
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To: GodGunsGuts
Get rid of NATO?

Gosh darn that Trump, even though he's right again, I sure hope he doesn't notice that we should dump the UN, as well.

46 posted on 03/21/2016 2:55:37 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (America, a Rule of Mob nation)
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To: hotsteppa; GodGunsGuts
What a misleading headline.

Which is why the recently returned (today) disruptor troll posted it.

47 posted on 03/21/2016 2:56:11 PM PDT by Las Vegas Ron ("Medicine is the keystone in the arch of Socialism" Vladimir Lenin)
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To: dfwgator

“*That’s Poland, Czech Rep., Slovakia and Hungary, countries that still stand for Western values.”

True. And ironically, the only invasions they face are from hordes of moslems.


48 posted on 03/21/2016 2:57:26 PM PDT by DesertRhino ("I want those feeble mined asses overthrown,,,)
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To: GodGunsGuts

I love this. Trump rocks.


49 posted on 03/21/2016 3:02:09 PM PDT by MarMema (2016 - Trump or Goldman Sachs)
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To: Happy Rain

It’s more than Libertarians who want us to reduce our role in NATO.

Europe has been able to cut deep into their armed forces due to our heavy lifting.


50 posted on 03/21/2016 3:04:06 PM PDT by PeteB570 ( Islam is the sea in which the Terrorist Shark swims. The deeper the sea the larger the shark.)
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To: GodGunsGuts

“Leads too much?” What a bogus headline.

We have supported the Euros defense for years-—fine in the Cold War IF. . . IF . . . they are pulling their own weight. But that’s not the case now. We have no business taking the lead in a place like Ukraine.


51 posted on 03/21/2016 3:04:15 PM PDT by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: Happy Rain

Pretending? He has said this as long as I’ve listened to him.


52 posted on 03/21/2016 3:05:28 PM PDT by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: GodGunsGuts

He’s correct, the U.S. has been a never-ending fountain of money to Europe for decades. I’ve said for several decades now to friends and family that we need... no... we must stop the hemorrhaging of the blood of our people and the treasury.

It’s long past time to stop paying tribute in the guise of Foreign aid to every other country in the world. And we must stop acting as Janissaries for the various ‘kingdoms’ in the sandbox that is the Middle East.


53 posted on 03/21/2016 3:06:29 PM PDT by The Working Man
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To: GodGunsGuts

Washington “Conservatives” are desperate to start another 10 year war (that ends in a loss).

Can’t wait for the Bill Krystal and the Neo Cons to LEAD us into World War III.


54 posted on 03/21/2016 3:07:09 PM PDT by o2bfree (DNC = RNC :-)
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To: johniegrad

“Other than another rousing cheer, can you explain how this article is somehow an endorsement of your team? I must be missing something here.”

I guess America being the world’s policeman so that socialist nations can import Muslims, while s*itting on America....is the Cruz position.


55 posted on 03/21/2016 3:08:36 PM PDT by VanDeKoik
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To: GodGunsGuts

Trump’s right. This one reason the neo-con armchair generals hate him.


56 posted on 03/21/2016 3:08:40 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives.)
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To: GodGunsGuts

Sounds like Obama. Complaining that the U.S. is the best country in the world.


57 posted on 03/21/2016 3:09:17 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: 20yearsofinternet

#37 that’s funny coming from a Candidate that claims he can grow the economy enough to make SSI and Medicare solvent. The Same genius that claims he can save 300 Billion by cutting fraud and abuse out of 84 billion dollar expensiture .


58 posted on 03/21/2016 3:11:25 PM PDT by VRWCarea51 (The original 1998 version)
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To: GodGunsGuts

“Trump Complains America Leads Too Much, Wants Diminished Role in NATO”

Trump is right.

Being in NATO is not about leadership. It’s about getting stuck with the bill.


59 posted on 03/21/2016 3:11:50 PM PDT by moovova
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To: nickcarraway

Best country in the world =/= spending trillions defending everyone else.

Cut back on foreign aid + cut back on bases in nations that dont want us there.

Not a hard position to take.


60 posted on 03/21/2016 3:12:27 PM PDT by VanDeKoik
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