‘Stupid thing to say’: Republicans divided on Trump threat to violate Nato defence pledge
Donald Trump gave another sign that he would oversee the disintegration of the Nato alliance Saturday evening in South Carolina, but his comments were met by a collective shrug from his party, even among those once considered to be some of the strongest defence hawks in Washington.
“If we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?” Trump claimed to remember a Nato member-state’s leader asking him when he was president. He then claimed to have responded: “No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”
Mr Trump’s remarks were not the first to throw into question the future of one of the world’s most significant and consequential military alliances, one that saw countries come to the US’s aid after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But they were his
