Trump calls out NATO nations for their lack of spending

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

Ahead of the NATO summit in Turkey, President Donald Trump is calling out several NATO partners for their spending.

The president is set to attend the summit next week, months after Trump toyed with the idea of withdrawing from the treaty.

Criticism of NATO by the Trump administration ramped up after several NATO nations were reluctant to assist the U.S. in the conflict with Iran.

On Thursday, the president highlighted how much U.S. taxpayers spend on NATO, noting the U.S. spends more than any other partner country.

“The United States spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them, without getting any benefit from so doing: U.S. 999 billion dollars, United Kingdom, 90.5 billion dollars, France 66.5 billion dollars, Italy, 48.8 billion dollars, Poland, 44.3 billion dollars. Others, including Germany, are much lower (2014-2025,” the president posted on Truth Social.

Since taking office for a second time, Trump has pressured NATO member nations to increase their GDP spending on defense, with the U.S. contributing about $753 million, about 16% of NATO common funds in 2024, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.

The president has called on NATO nations to increase their NATO contributions to 5% of their GDP.

The president indicated earlier this year that he was considering withdrawing from NATO. During a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office on March 17, The Center Square asked Trump whether he was reconsidering America’s relationship with NATO and whether he might withdraw from it.

The president responded by expressing disappointment in NATO’s lack of support for the U.S. strikes on Iran.

“Well, I’m disappointed in NATO that we spend trillions of dollars on NATO. Think of it, trillions over the years … It’s one of the reasons we have deficits and we help other countries when they don’t help us,” Trump told The Center Square. “I mean, it’s certainly something that we should think about.”

Some NATO countries, including France, Spain and Italy, have come under scrutiny for prohibiting American forces from using bases in those countries to carry out strikes against the Iranian regime and assisting the U.S. in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

Other administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, have supported the president’s criticism of NATO.

In May, while attending a NATO meeting in Sweden, Rubio addressed the strained relationship between the U.S. and some NATO countries with respect to their lack of support for the U.S. operations against Iran, underscoring the conflict in Iran.

“The president’s views, frankly, disappointment at some of our NATO allies and their responses to our operations in the Middle East, are well documented. That will have to be addressed, but that won’t be solved or addressed today,” Rubio told reporters during the meeting.

The secretary called the differences within NATO over cooperation a “challenge,” highlighting the different political dynamics and budgetary constraints impacting the alliance.

Rubio criticized many NATO nations for their lack of defense spending, a long-time source of contention between Trump and NATO.

“Some countries are still lagging,” said the secretary of state.

Earlier this week, Hegseth attended the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Belgium, urging NATO nations to take a more active lead, including in their spending. The secretary told NATO partners that the Department of War would undergo a six-month review of American military troops based in Europe.

In light of the president’s comments about NATO, a recent survey by The Center Square’s Voters’ Voice Poll shows a majority of American voters believe the U.S. should remain in the nearly 80-year-old treaty, with 59% supporting NATO, compared to 27% who believe the U.S. should withdraw.

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