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Trump on Nato: Dangerous talk at a dangerous time
BBC ^ | 11 Feb 2024 | Frank Gardner

Posted on 02/11/2024 11:44:59 AM PST by Chad C. Mulligan

And so it begins. Nine months still to go before the next US presidential election and already the Republican party favourite and former President Donald Trump is sending eyebrows and blood pressure skywards in Nato capitals with his provocative statements.

And yet they will delight many of his supporters.

Suggesting at a rally in South Carolina that he would "encourage" aggressors (for example Russia) "to do whatever the hell they want" with Nato countries that fail to pay their dues has prompted an immediate condemnation from the White House. A spokesman called the comment "appalling and unhinged", saying it was "encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes".

Nato Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has also responded forcefully, saying: "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk."

Did Trump mean what he said? Probably not. This is typical Trump fare. Say something provocative, grab some headlines, outrage your critics and thrill your fans.

Yet ironically, there is a grudging gratitude in some quarters of Nato for Mr Trump's threats when he was in the White House. Back in 2018, President Trump was so angered by the failure of several European nations to fulfil their agreed quota of spending 2% of GDP on defence that he threatened to pull the US out of the alliance altogether.

Military chiefs throughout Nato were aghast. If a US president ever went through with such a threat, abandoning Europe to fend for itself, it would so severely undermine the alliance that it would cease to exist in its present form.

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: angryneoconsbelow; badjuju; bbc; bidenswar; bs; chadcmulligan; christophersteele; concerntroll; dangerous; dangeroustalk; defundnato; europe; european; europeanhistory; eurotrashposters; euroweenie; fightyourownbattle; gobacktodu; gobacktoeurope; idontsupporttrump; lunatic; mi6propaganda; mi6vsamerica; nato; natodeadbeats; neoconsvotedbiden; nevertrumpingtroll; orbis; pearlclutchers; putin; russiagate; russiarussiarussia; stoppostingbs; trump; ukraine; ukraineslushfund; unitedkingdom; wedontfightforuk; zeeperpr0n; zeepers; zeepersjustwannazeep; zeeperslovevindman; zeepersree
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

BTW, the Ukraine is NOT a NATO member.


41 posted on 02/11/2024 12:17:59 PM PST by Ge0ffrey
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

The European members of NATO don’t want to spend on defense. They want to spend on social programs.


42 posted on 02/11/2024 12:19:24 PM PST by ealgeone
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To: PGR88

👍🏼


43 posted on 02/11/2024 12:24:17 PM PST by Jane Long (What we were told was a conspiracy theory in ‘20 is now fact. Land of the sheep, home of the knaves)
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

And where did all of that money go to? There has not been one audit of expenditures. How much ended up in the pockets of politicians?


44 posted on 02/11/2024 12:25:57 PM PST by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

He said if a NATO county ‘didn’t pay their ‘NATO’ dues he would not care about them....or something to that effect.

This means if the the country did pay its NATO dues, he would support them.

Sure he said it in his Trump way...but what’s the problem?

If I told you I would not let you buy my golf clubs if you didn’t pay me, wouldn’t you infer that if you did pay me me, you could indeed buy them.

Dems claim to be the smartest people on earth. But, they just hear what they want to hear.


45 posted on 02/11/2024 12:26:26 PM PST by Mustangman
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To: ealgeone

“The European members of NATO don’t want to spend on defense. They want to spend on social programs.”

Trump is right. Why should we defend countries that won’t defend themselves?


46 posted on 02/11/2024 12:34:31 PM PST by rxh4n1
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

Shut up, limey! we kicked your ass, and then saved you 3 times!


47 posted on 02/11/2024 12:39:33 PM PST by cowboyusa (YESHUA IS KING OF AMERICA! DEATH TO MARXISM AND LEgermany in 1837. FTISM! AMERICA, COWBOY UP!)
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

America First is not lunatic fridge, only to ne[- cons it is.


48 posted on 02/11/2024 12:41:06 PM PST by cowboyusa (YESHUA IS KING OF AMERICA! DEATH TO MARXISM AND LEgermany in 1837. FTISM! AMERICA, COWBOY UP!)
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

Since NATO exists for countries to get the US to to fund their defense, pay up or “the Sheriff ain’t gonna hep ya’ll”.

Now what is wrong with that?


49 posted on 02/11/2024 12:47:56 PM PST by Glad2bnuts (“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: We should have set up ambushes...paraphrased)
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To: Fester Chugabrew

I would love to shock the entire world, have the US and Russia hold hands in Peace and co-operation. Why? What we have beeng doing has not changed the world one lick.

Ever since the beginning of the League of Nations, from WW 1 till now with the WEF, UN and all that horse manure, we have had record numbers of wars.

Maybe we should try making peace, and do it with a nations people who have been our allies in nearly every war since 1776. Sure, they went to the dark side with Stalin/Lenin, but so are we doing so now. What better way to slay the Dragon, than to do so together? Start deporting people who have alliances with the W E F, and China for treason. THAT is the direction of our enema... I mean enemy.


50 posted on 02/11/2024 12:53:28 PM PST by Glad2bnuts (“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: We should have set up ambushes...paraphrased)
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To: Chad C. Mulligan
(Trump) "gave me cold chills"


51 posted on 02/11/2024 12:59:33 PM PST by JonPreston ( ✌ ☮️ )
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To: Chad C. Mulligan
More than 1,000,000 American kids have died fighting for Europe in WWI and WWII, with many more millions wounded, and you want US to continue picking up the tab for their defense as they spend their $$$$ on domestic socialism?

What the hell is wrong with you?

52 posted on 02/11/2024 1:02:36 PM PST by JonPreston ( ✌ ☮️ )
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To: Kazan

Currently, you are correct. In a sane world Russia would be the best ally the US ever had. They can be a buffer against both China, the force of the Mahdi, and European communists, even that so called stalwart ally GB. Being the the United Kingdom is now a forward operating base for the Muzzies.


53 posted on 02/11/2024 1:03:42 PM PST by Glad2bnuts (“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: We should have set up ambushes...paraphrased)
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To: Ge0ffrey

:)

Just a NATO proxy..

And a DC Swamp Money Laundering Hub proxy.

And a hoax impeachment source vs Trump

And a Hunter Biden enrichment center whose dad was installed after a Wuhan Flu Coup and stolen election that has no foreseeable ties to Russia..

My give a darn about DC Swamp/NATO and their proxy is busted..


54 posted on 02/11/2024 1:11:15 PM PST by delchiante
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

Honest critiques when he does something questionable or seemingly counter-productive. Our biggest concern right now is making sure he gets reelected & following the safest path to ensuring it. Honing a message & not veering off track or getting stuck in the weeds is what he needs right now. The only people that triumph in elections are the disciplined ones. Being bombastic is fun, but is it really so important that he has to hand the media another negative talking point?
We need to win! Save the bombastic stuff until after he’s won the election 🤔


55 posted on 02/11/2024 1:52:00 PM PST by redheadedshannon
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To: Chad C. Mulligan
If defending Europe was so important, no NATO country would have to be told to spend a bare minimum of 2% of its GDP on its own defense.
56 posted on 02/11/2024 2:07:57 PM PST by Alberta's Child (If something in government doesn’t make sense, you can be sure it makes dollars.)
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To: Glad2bnuts
Currently, you are correct. In a sane world Russia would be the best ally the US ever had.

LOL, sure Russia can be our best ally. Why not also Iran and North Korea? Idiocy


57 posted on 02/11/2024 2:20:50 PM PST by tlozo ( Better to Die on Your Feet than Live on Your Knees )
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

“ the isolationist lunatic fringe, such as will shortly be shite-posting this thread”

They’re not isolationist, they are pro China, Iran and Russia.

As for the Trump comment, your concern is unnecessary.

Out of context media crap.


58 posted on 02/11/2024 2:22:57 PM PST by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: nopardons
And yes, the NATO members DID pony up!

Not exactly:


59 posted on 02/11/2024 2:37:26 PM PST by Gunslingr3
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

You will be the bad “Juju” of this thread. Do you need some pearls to clutch?


60 posted on 02/11/2024 2:38:58 PM PST by ohioman
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