Trump gets a "chilly reception" at NATO after telling world leaders to pay "their fair share"

[DonViejo]

THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2017 01:23 PM EDT

Trump gets a “chilly reception” at NATO after telling world leaders to pay “their fair share”

The images we'll have from Trump's meeting with NATO leaders: Shoving one and telling all to pay up

SOPHIA TESFAYE

Donald Trump may have walked back his harsh assessment that “NATO is obsolete” during a White House meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg back in April, but returned to his public condemnation of the alliance during a meeting with NATO allies in Brussels on Thursday.

“I have been very, very direct with Secretary Stoltenberg and members of the alliance in saying that NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations. But 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying, and what they’re supposed to be paying for their defense,” Trump said during his first official meeting with leaders from the 27 other members of the alliance in Brussels. While campaigning, Trump called Brussels a “hellhole.”

As NATO leaders stole sidelong glances at each other during a ceremony at the alliance’s new headquarters, Trump lectured member nations to “finally contribute their fair share” on defense.

Link to tweet

“Over the last eight years, the United States spent more on defense than all other NATO countries combined,” Trump said. “This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States, and many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years, and not paying in those past years.” Trump said that NATO would have had $119 billion more if NATO members lived up to their obligations. “Two percent is the bare minimum for confronting today’s very real and very vicious threats,” he said.

Trump even suggested at the dedication of the new NATO headquarters that it cost too much. “I never asked once what the new NATO headquarters cost,” he said. “I refuse to do that. But it is beautiful.”

more
http://www.salon.com/2017/05/25/trump-gets-a-chilly-reception-at-nato-after-telling-world-leaders-to-pay-their-fair-share/

[Thrill]

1. What's embarrassing is he clearly doesn't know

How the alliance works

[OnDoutside]

2. Embarrassing is the word alright. I had to mute the TV myself

It was that cringeworthy.

[nini]

3. People just need to start walking away from him

give him the respect he gives others - which is NONE.

[louis-t]

4. The asshole who refuses to pay his bills

wants everyone else to 'pay up'. We need a 'putz' smilie.

[anarch]

5. Hmm...Over the last eight years, the United States spent more on defense...

...than all other NATO countries combined. This is not fair to the people and the taxpayers of the United States." Well ya know what, I agree with that...we really need to rethink our priorities. If we stopped funneling such egregious amounts of money on bombs and tanks and such, maybe we could spend more on infrastructure, education, health care, and even humanitarian foreign aid to spread goodwill through the world and eliminate our enemies by making all decent nations into friends...

Huh? what's that? Commie pipe-dream, you say? "America First," and "nice country you got there, NATO member...would be a shame if anything happened to it, wouldn't it? Fork over the cash!" you say?

...

this cretin is the personification of all the worst traits of our national character.

[dawg]

6. Yeah. It'd be hilarious if all this led to a re-militarized Germany.

Putin would feel so safe and happy about that!

[Solly Mack]

7. "the size of his electoral college victory"

If you have to keep whipping it out for validation then you already know the answer to why no one wants to ...play...with you.

[Johonny]

8. Only one member's nation just leaked the name of the bomber...I wonder who that was?

You can spend all the money in the world, but you're not safe if an idiot is in charge.