Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a warning on Saturday, cautioning that if former President Donald Trump secures a second term in the White House, he will likely attempt to withdraw the United States from NATO.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Clinton advised delegates to take Trump’s intentions seriously. She emphasized, “We have a long struggle ahead of us, and the obvious point to make about Donald Trump is to take him literally and seriously.”
Clinton noted that people underestimated Trump’s statements in 2016 and urged against dismissing his current intentions. In her remarks, Clinton predicted that if re-elected, Trump would work to pull the U.S. out of NATO. She asserted, “He will do everything he can to become an absolute authoritarian leader if allowed to do so.
Hillary Clinton (Credits: CNN)
And he will pull us out of NATO even though Congress passed a resolution saying that he couldn’t without congressional support because he will just not fund our obligations.”
Trump has faced criticism for recent remarks indicating a lack of commitment to NATO’s mutual defense clause, Article 5. At a rally in South Carolina, Trump suggested he might allow Russia to act freely if a NATO country failed to meet its financial obligations to the alliance.
General Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded to Trump’s comments by emphasizing the importance of U.S. alliances and credibility, including with NATO. Brown stated, “U.S. credibility is at stake with each of our alliances, and U.S. leadership is still needed, wanted, and watched.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed confidence in the U.S.’s continued commitment to NATO, regardless of the election outcome. Stoltenberg highlighted the bipartisan support for NATO in Congress and reiterated that the alliance is crucial for U.S. security interests.
President Joe Biden and his campaign have been critical of Trump’s stance on NATO. Biden denounced Trump’s comments as “dangerous” and “un-American,” stating that Trump sees NATO as a burden and fails to recognize its importance in protecting America and the world.
Biden’s campaign released an ad criticizing Trump’s association with Russian President Vladimir Putin and condemning Trump’s remarks on NATO as “traitorous.”
The ad emphasized the unprecedented nature of Trump’s comments and characterized them as weak, dangerous, and un-American.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that should former President Donald Trump secure a second term in the White House, he is likely to push for the United States to withdraw from NATO.
Clinton made these remarks during a panel at the Munich Security Conference, where she urged attendees to take Trump’s statements seriously, emphasizing that he means what he says.
Clinton highlighted her conversations with President Joe Biden, noting that while Biden may not publicly express his views on Netanyahu, he shares her concerns about the Israeli prime minister’s leadership. She stressed that people should not dismiss Trump’s intentions, as they did in 2016.
According to Clinton, Trump would seek to withdraw the U.S. from NATO, despite a congressional resolution prohibiting such a move without congressional support. She believes Trump would justify this by not funding U.S. obligations to the alliance.
Trump’s recent comments about NATO have raised concerns. He suggested that he might allow Russia to act freely if a NATO member did not meet its financial commitments.
General Charles Q. Brown Jr., chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasized the importance of U.S. alliances and credibility, stating that U.S. leadership is still needed and watched.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed confidence in the U.S.’s commitment to NATO, regardless of the election outcome. He cited bipartisan support for NATO in Congress and emphasized its importance for U.S. security interests.
President Biden and his campaign have criticized Trump’s stance on NATO. Biden described Trump’s comments as “dangerous” and “un-American,” highlighting Trump’s view of NATO as a burden and his failure to recognize its importance in protecting America and the world.
In response to Trump’s comments, Biden’s campaign released an ad criticizing his association with Russian President Vladimir Putin and condemning his remarks on NATO as “traitorous.” The ad emphasized the unprecedented nature of Trump’s comments and their potential consequences for U.S. security and global stability.
