NATO allies were so appalled after Trump winged his remarks at a behind closed doors dinner that sources described the event as a “total sh*tshow.”
Trump decided to ditch both versions of his prepared remarks and wing it.
Foreign Policy reported on what happened next:
During the dinner, Trump went off-script to criticize allies again for not spending enough on defense. (The United States is one of only five members that meets NATO members’ pledge to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense.)
Several sources briefed extensively on the dinner say he said 2 percent wasn’t enough and allies should spend 3 percent of GDP on defense, and he even threatened to cut back U.S. defense spending and have Europeans dole out “back pay†to make up for their low defense spending if they didn’t pony up quickly enough. Two sources say Trump didn’t mention Russia once during the dinner.
“Oh, it was like a total shitshow,†said one source, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they weren’t authorized to discuss the closed-door dinner.
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“The dinner was far worse than the speech,†said a former senior U.S. government official briefed on dinner. “It was a train wreck. It was awful.â€
If the NATO allies thought dinner with Trump was bad, imagine having him in charge of your country. Trump, once again, didn’t listen to any of his advisers, and the result was a damaged relationship with US allies.
Donald Trump’s first foreign trip was worse than what the world saw in public. The President is damaging the collective security of the NATO alliance, just like Putin wanted.
Trump should not be president, and every second that occupies the Oval Office does more damage to the United States of America.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
