Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, Donald Trump made a series of comments that led to unease in terms of where his head is at when it comes to shielding NATO allies against Russian attack.
Remarking on a conversation he had during his time in office where a leader of a “big country” asked whether they would be protected if Russia attacked, Trump painted a picture of such protection having a price tag attached to it, telling the leader that the U.S. would not protect them if they didn’t pay their fair share in defense spending, according to NBC News.
“I said, ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’” Trump said. “No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
In a statement on Trump’s comments, White House Deputy Press Secretary and Senior Communications Adviser Andrew Bates said, “Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged — and it endangers American national security, global stability and our economy at home.”
Trump is silencing political dissent. We appeal for your support.
Progressive nonprofits are the latest target caught in Trump’s crosshairs. With the aim of eliminating political opposition, Trump and his sycophants are working to curb government funding, constrain private foundations, and even cut tax-exempt status from organizations he dislikes.
We’re concerned, because Truthout is not immune to such bad-faith attacks.
We can only resist Trump’s attacks by cultivating a strong base of support. The right-wing mediasphere is funded comfortably by billionaire owners and venture capitalist philanthropists. At Truthout, we have you.
Truthout has launched a fundraiser to raise $38,000 in the next 6 days. Please take a meaningful action in the fight against authoritarianism: make a one-time or monthly donation to Truthout. If you have the means, please dig deep.