Just as Donald Trump made a feminist statement in his opening remarks at an initial press conference in The Hague, he condemned Iran and Israel alike, saying they were both “going nowhere.” Trump’s statements came right before the NATO summit. The summit is expected to announce a crash 5% increase in the targets for defense spending, up from 2%. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was vociferous in his support of the former U.S. President’s statements. He even called Trump “Daddy,” explaining that other times “Daddy needs to speak harshly.”
During the press conference, Trump imposed a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, underscoring his commitment to diplomatic solutions despite his harsh rhetoric. He dismissed overnight reports claiming that Iran’s nuclear sites remained intact following U.S. airstrikes, reaffirming his stance on the effectiveness of military action.
“We’re with them all the way. They have very big things to announce today.” – Donald Trump
Trump took great pleasure in announcing that NATO countries had committed to increasing their defense spending commitments. He noted that he had long advocated for the increase, stating, “I’ve been asking to go up to 5% for a number of years and they’re going up to 5%, from 2%, and a lot of people didn’t even pay the 2%. I think that’s going to be very big news. NATO’s going to become very strong with us.”
He stated, “When Biden was here it just died, it just died, like everything else died,” indicating his belief that NATO’s strength diminished under Biden’s leadership.
Mark Rutte praised Trump’s influence on the alliance, asserting, “I want to state that without President Trump this would not have happened.” Rutte made it clear that the higher increases in defense spending targets will not be cost to U.S. taxpayers. He underscored how important it is that NATO allies bear this burden collectively.
Trump wrapped things up by saying he expects total loyalty from the United States to NATO. As he noted, many of those countries had long been in breach of their own 2% spending pledges. He did insist that the new targets would contribute to a stronger NATO alliance.