Donald Trump printed out made-up 300bn Nato invoice and handed it to Angela Merkel

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: Independent (UK)

President estimated Germany’s under-spend on alliance over the past 12 years, then added interest.

The controversial President is said to have had an 'invoice' printed out outlining the sum estimated by his aides as covering Germany's unpaid contributions for defence. Said to be presented during private talks in Washington, the move has been met with criticism from German and Nato officials.

While the figure presented to the Germans was not revealed by either side, Nato countries pledged in 2014 to spend two per cent of their GDP on defence, something only a handful of nations – including the UK, Greece, Poland and Estonia – currently do. But the bill has been backdated even further to 2002, the year Mrs Merkel’s predecessor, Gerhard Schröder, pledged to spend more on defence.

Mr Trump reportedly instructed aides to calculate how much German spending fell below two per cent over the past 12 years, then added interest. Estimates suggest the total came to £300bn, with official figures citing the shortfall to be around £250bn, and with £50bn in interest added on.

The Times quoted a German government minister as saying the move was “outrageous”. The unnamed minister said: “The concept behind putting out such demands is to intimidate the other side, but the chancellor took it calmly and will not respond to such provocations.” And the paper quoted a source close to Mrs Merkel saying she has “ignored the provocation”.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-angela-merkel-nato-bill-defence-ignore-usa-germany-spending-a7650636.html

[Jonny Appleseed]

1. Merkel must've given him PTSD flashbacks to those 3 debates with Hillary

Classy move tho. If I was her I would have levied a tax on all German exports to America that over 12 years equals £350bn (added the £50bn every 12 years as interest).

[Sunlei]

15. trump seemed really pissed off when Merkel told him, all Nato country treaties are done & current.

He was also pissed off when she told him, as far as Germany trade deals America must meet with EU experts for any trade contracts. They work with European Union for trade deals.

"UNION" get it, Mr. Trump?

un·ion


/ˈyo͞onyən/


noun

noun: union; plural noun: unions; noun: Union
1. the action or fact of joining or being joined, especially in a political context.
"he was opposed to closer political or economic union with Europe"

[HoneyBadger]

2. I would cross out the $300billion and give a buck

THAT IS A DEAL

[mwooldri]

22. Or send a rent due for the US based in Germany.

Attached to a piece of Berlin Wall.

[DK504]

30. Awesome. I wonder how far we are behind in rent payments to Germany.

This man is obvious ignorance and decent into a dark hole is actually a bit scary, what is he going to do, throw the UN out of New York?

His disdain & contempt for our most allies is mind boggling insane. What's next?

[no_hypocrisy]

3. And he expected her to whip out the national checkbook and write him the full amount?

It's more than the money. He did this to humiliate and humble her as Trump recognizes that Merkel is now the leader of the Free World.

[LakeArenal]

17. Yea, but he is the one that looked horrible and humiliating..

Humiliated the US...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. No country owes the US anything for NATO.

What Trump apparently doesn't get is that NATO asks each member country to allocate 2% of its GDP to defense. Some countries have done that; some have not. But no country "owes" the U.S.

[Hugin]

4. K&R

:kick:

[dalton99a]

5. And the Great Intimidator made her shake in fear

[Scarsdale]

33. tRump

owes US taxpayers millions just after this short administration. $3 MILLION a time for the Florida whorehouse, millions to NY for tRump Tower. Millions to guard his fugly dumb "kids". He depletes our treasury every day. None of the tRumps are worth protecting. Let them hire their own security.

[C_U_L8R]

6. What a putz.

So ashamed of our baby in chief

[Hortensis]

36. About it.

[Snarkoleptic]

7. Oh the irony! Deadbeat Trump fabricating & handing out invoices.

He's still working off his debt to Vlad for the election help and .5% share of Rosneft.

[groundloop]

9. Not to mention his 6 bankruptcies !!!!

But of course 45* will say that's going through a bankruptcy is just smart business - leave others on the hook for your debt while you walk away with $Millions.

[pnwmom]

8. Then we need too immediately slash OUR budget DOWN to that 2% figure,

since it is obviously so critical.

[groundloop]

12. ABSOLUTELY!!!! Think of what a 43% slash in military spending would pay for- SCHOOLS, HEALTHCARE....

[Victor_c3]

35. You can't do that

They don't have parades or holidays for healthcare and schools. Nobody wants to celebrate things that don't cause bloodshed and unilaterally make the world better for all.

If we didn't have a holiday for veterans and wars, when we have our mattress sales? Think how that would ruin our economy!

[turbinetree]

10. To the fruit cake orange hair bunch in the White House this is what NATO paid for

http://icasualties.org/oef/Nationality.aspx?hndQry=Germany

[Bengus81]

11. Mail him a check for 13 cents--he cashes those!

[chowder66]

43. LOL! nt

[Sunlei]

13. no wonder all our American ally countries aren't as comfortable with USA anymore.

Don't understand why Republicans allow their president to get away with representing America like this.

[Jonny Appleseed]

18. Word leaders aren't sure who they're supposed to meet with anymore

with no state department and a powerless (in every way but militarily) mad king, what the fuck are they supposed to do?

[Sunlei]

19. kind of like having a kid president and no one, not even Republican adults will supervise the kid.

Fine if it's your own house or your own business and the kid in charge ruins & breaks stuff.

But America belongs to ALL of us, The Federal government is OUR government.

[BREMPRO]

44. this is something only an immature inexperienced adolecent bully would do if he were president

oh. that's right, he is....all that.

[Sunlei]

46. That's why Republicans love Trumps folly-as a 'wall' between Americans & OUR government servants.

[Sunlei]

14. after 9/11,was our NATO partners who 100% stood with America & gave their lives in wars WE started.

[LakeArenal]

16. Dump is an expert in ignoring invoices presented to him...

And a master of non-payment...

[Mr. Ected]

20. I think the Europeans realize that Trump + Deplorables

Is not equal to the USA.

We cannot be judged by the brainwashed masses here any more than the pro-Brexit UK'ers represent the views of their countrymen and women.

[judesedit]

21. What nerve. Drumpf stiffs people every chance he gets

Loser

[NastyRiffraff]

23. Oh. My. God.

This is NOT DONE to a visiting foreign leader. Ever. Even if he or she is from a hostile country, never mind an important ALLY.

I cringed every time George W. Bush met a foreign leader because I was afraid he'd embarrass our country yet again. This guy is much, much worse. I want to write a letter to Angela Merkel apologizing for our so-called president.

[Botany]

24. Trump's history of being anti NATO and pro Putin is out there

The bill is just window dressing. And BTW Trump complaining about
a bill not being paid? Please! How many people has he screwed by
not paying them?

[barbtries]

26. good point

he's a notorious deadbeat.

[Botany]

31. Trump stole the last funds from widows of the Iraqi war w/his Trump U. scam.

The man is a P.O.S..

[Sunlei]

48. Never understood why the Republican party, 100% backed such a scammer.

Republicans know his life history.

[Botany]

50. "Never understood why the Republican party, 100% backed such a scammer."

Because his racist, sexist, con man, big time wrestling act sold well w/the rubes.

I am starting to wonder if Trump didn't have Russian help in the primaries too.

[Sunlei]

53. Manafort. And the Republicans primary did have russian help piling shit on Hillary Campaign.

Russia hacked files, emails, personal emails, DNC files, all the crap Republicans piled on Hillary.

Russia conveniently deposited all the stolen files on WikiLeaks for Republicans to use. Some Republicans even seemed to know (in advance) when stolen files were available on WikiLeaks.

IMO

[barbtries]

25. net 30,

payable to Trump Industries. wire remittance to the cayman islands or somesuch.

he's a true embarrassment to the country.

[Hekate]

28. Please say this can't be true. Christ on a trailer hitch. Nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

29. Does SCROTUS not understand how NATO actually operates?

NATO asks each member country to allocate 2% of its GDP to defense. Some countries have done that; some have not. But no country "owes" the U.S. anything.

[Sunlei]

51. Merkel said it herself at White House to reporters "Our agreement /w NATO moves toward 2% of GDP"

Trump stood right next to her with translation headphones on.

Mr Trump must not be a good listener and/OR always ignores a Woman speaking.

[xxqqqzme]

32. What a disaster he is.

Since this fool doesn't read, won't listen or attend briefings perhaps there needs to be a digital library available on 'How To Be President'. The segments can't be longer than 10 minutes given his ADD influence. Or maybe disguised as snappy little ads.

[SticksnStones]

34. I picture 45 and his cabal standing around the admin at the keyboard creating the faux invoice

Giggling and congratulating each other for such a brilliant idea....sheesh!

[Fritz Walter]

40. No, You're entirely wrong!

It was originally written in crayon -- on lined paper -- and the first amount was for a Million Bazillion Dollars.
After a long and heated discussion with his staff, they crossed through that amount and wrote "$300 billion." But they didn't bother to correct the backwards "N" in NATO.

[SticksnStones]

42. I stand corrected

Of course that's how it went down!

[Fritz Walter]

55. Editorial cartoon of that scene to follow

Your scenario is likewise subject to a cartoonist's imagination.

We either laugh about this shit, or cry...

[SticksnStones]

56. Honest to god, today I did both.

Must be the rain...

[Moostache]

37. OPEN APOLOGY TO THE WORLD

Dear citizens of Earth,

On behalf of my fellow Americans who DID NOT elect Mr. Trump to the office of the President of the United States, which was the MAJORITY of us, I offer a sincere apology for the stress his undisciplined and often incoherent social media rambles may be causing in your home nations.

We, the majority of the people of the United States of America, are doing what we can domestically to reign in the would-be Mad King. We have defeated his first disastrous legislative proposal and will continue to resist everything he attempts to do within our national borders. Please join us across the globe in making it clear, the division and hate and inhumanity that Trump represents is NOT our collective destiny and it too shall pass.

Resist!

[C_U_L8R]

38. Co-signing....

C_U_L8R

[FakeNoose]

52. So true

Can this be translated into German, Spanish, French, Swedish, Japanese, and a few dozen other languages?

[joe_stampingbull]

39. why doesn't drumpf demand trillions...

from his idol Putin and the Russians for having to have NATO in the first place?

[NickB79]

41. She should have looked him straight in the eye

Wadded it up, wiped her ass with it, and shook his hand with it.

[rurallib]

45. On the plus side Trump didn't grab Merkel by the pussy

I think he should be applauded for such extraordinary restraint.
really growing up and becoming a man!





do I need this?

[Mrs. Overall]

47. +1 Best response yet...

[davsand]

49. Did she fold it into five sharp points and hand it back?

Or offer to insert it for him as a gesture of cooperation?





Laura

[Turbineguy]

54. In the process transferring the

mantle of "Leader of the Free World" to her.

Make that "Her".

That and trump is rehabilitating all our heretofore worst-president-evers.

[Flaleftist]

57. 45 didn't emotionally develop beyond age 12.

No offense to 12 year olds.

[lindysalsagal]

58. Don't doubt it, but, why is this news weeks late?

Wonder why we didn't know this before?

[Oneironaut]

59. They should pay in crates full of monopoly money

The idiot in chief deserves no more acknowledgement and respect.

[riversedge]

60. WH aide says story of Trump handing Merkel a $300b check for NATO dues is not true

I am not taking the Wh literally

Link to tweet

am Stein?Verified account @samsteinhp

WH aide says story of Trump handing Merkel a $300b check for NATO dues is “not true”


12:47 PM - 26 Mar 2017
145 replies 95 retweets 137 likes


Reply to @samsteinhp


WHYSY? @LUDUBIKA 5h5 hours ago

@samsteinhp like it was true that thousands and thousands of muslin were celebrating in the day of 9/11
1 reply 1 retweet 25 likes




David Dixon? @dixondaver 5h5 hours ago

@LUDUBIKA @samsteinhp or true like he wasn't trying to get Mike Flynn Jr and Ivanka security clearances?
0 replies 0 retweets 27 likes





Pé Resists? @4everNeverTrump 5h5 hours ago

@samsteinhp They'll deny it even if Merkel produces the invoice
0 replies 6 retweets 63 likes
blkginger? @blk_ginger 5h5 hours ago

@samsteinhp Just like it was 'Not true' that he went golfing yesterday?
0 replies 10 retweets 103 likes

[NurseJackie]

61. That's a lie. They lie about everything.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

62. Putin's puppet

Except Merkel's already starred Putin down