As of: February 12, 2024, 4:35 p.m
By: Simon Schröder
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If Donald Trump were elected, NATO would be on shaky ground.
Mark Esper, former defense secretary under Trump, warned of the consequences of a re-election.
Washington - The fact that Donald Trump represents a danger to US democracy was already evident on January 6, 2021 with the storming of the Capitol in Washington DC. However, re-election would also have serious consequences for Europe.
Trump underlined this at a campaign event on Saturday (February 10) when he threatened NATO members not to defend them against Russian attacks under certain challenges.
Trump as a major critic of NATO is nothing new.
The fact that he would now also encourage Russia to attack is the next superlative.
Trump receives criticism from his own ranks – NATO is just a “country club” for him
After Trump had already received strong criticism from NATO member states, voices from his own camp are also being heard.
Mark Esper, former defense minister under Trump, is certain that if the 77-year-old becomes president again, NATO will see the worst.
Esper told
Newsweek
that the ex-president sees NATO as a kind of "country club."
“If you don’t pay the fees then you won’t be allowed to use the spa or play golf.”
The 31 member states of the defense alliance had agreed to spend at least two percent of gross domestic product on military spending in order to strengthen NATO.
If this goal is not met, Trump would also refuse military aid to his allies and advocate an attack by Putin.
The 77-year-old explained this on Saturday.
The fact that only eleven NATO member states achieve the two percent target has long been criticized.
Trump's new statements, even advocating an attack on NATO, also went too far for Esper.
Donald Trump at the “Get Out the Vote” rally in Conway, South Carolina on February 10 © Julia Nikhinson/AFP
Trump scandal over NATO statements – “I wouldn’t protect you”
On a campaign tour in South Carolina on Saturday, the ex-president recalled a conversation he claims to have had with a representative of a large NATO member state.
When asked whether Trump would defend the country in the event of an attack if it had not reached the two percent target, he said clearly: “No, I would not protect you.
I would even encourage them (Russia and President Vladimir Putin,
editor's note
) to do whatever they want with you.” According to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all – the so-called alliance case.
If Trump wins the 2024 US election, Esper fears, US support for Ukraine would probably come to an end.
Trump's questionable statement comes just days after Republicans in the US Senate blocked a long-prepared aid package for Kiev in the Ukraine war.
Trump had incited the opposition to reject the negotiated deal.
Meanwhile, on his presidential campaign website, Trump announced: “We must complete the process that began under my administration to fundamentally reassess NATO’s mission and purpose.”
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Despite questionable statements about NATO, Trump receives a lot of support from within his own ranks
Despite the criticism, there was also a lot of support for Trump's harsh words.
Many Republican voices rallied behind the former president.
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas qualified Trump's statement, as the
New York Times
reported: "NATO states that don't spend enough on defense, like Germany, are already encouraging Russian aggression, and President Trump is just ringing the alarm bell."
Senator Lindsey Graham, in turn, told the
New York Times
: “Now, wait a minute – I mean, it’s Trump.”
It's just his way of getting people to pay their share, Graham said.
From our own ranks, only Nikki Haley can contest Donald Trump's nomination as the Republican presidential candidate.
But according to current surveys, she too is far behind.
She recently suffered a bitter defeat in Nevada in the US primaries.
(Simon Schröder)