“I acted, and acted strongly,” Trump said.
QUICK FACTS:
- President Donald J. Trump released a statement on his website taking aim at the “Fake News,” The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the European Union (EU).
- Trump reminded his readers how “NATO was poor” before he forced countries part of the organization not paying their fair share, and “now it is rich.”
- “All of the Fake News commentators that said Trump was tearing down NATO should be ashamed of themselves for telling lies,” said Trump.
- The 45th president also emphasized how the United States was “being taken advantage of by the EU on trade, but it was forced to pay the costs of the many delinquent NATO countries.”
- “Bush and Obama did nothing but make speeches and talk—I acted, and acted strongly.”
TRUMP’S FULL STATEMENT:
People forget so quickly, with the help of the Fake News, that it was me that got the 20 out of 28 delinquent NATO countries to start paying the money that they owed in order to rebuild a floundering NATO. Nobody knew things would happen so rapidly, but NATO was poor and now it is rich, and all of the Fake News commentators that said Trump was tearing down NATO should be ashamed of themselves for telling lies. Not only was the United States being taken advantage of by the EU on trade, but it was forced to pay the costs of the many delinquent NATO countries. Bush and Obama did nothing but make speeches and talk—I acted, and acted strongly. I said to them, “if you don’t pay up, no protection.” They all paid up, and paid up quickly. It’s a story that’s never reported, but that’s only because we have a corrupt press in our Country!
BACKGROUND:
- The European Union on Tuesday introduced a fourth round of anti-Russian sanctions, RT News reports, including bans on investments in the Russian energy sector as well as prohibitions on export of luxury goods and imports of iron and steel.
- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged on Wednesday that the 30-member alliance could have done more to help Ukraine in the lead-up to the Russian invasion three weeks ago, telling reporters the alliance is looking to “reset” its deterrence and defense systems in the face of Russia’s military operation against Ukraine, including how it aids non-NATO nations.
