You guys had 'The Madness of King George'.
We have 'The Madness of King Baby'.
Our 'Special Relationship' had brought us so close that even our nightmares are the same.
1
Did they fly the giant baby?
1
I'm Ingrid Bergman just starting to realize what Charles Boyer is doing to me. Oh wait,I have recourse,I have an escape plan,I can VOTE this absolute fool out of his undeserved office.
2
Putin/Trump 2020
Making Russia Great Again!
1
The voters in the US got what they deserved and voted for.
And the Europeans are getting some exercise in welcoming Trump into the club of globally acknowledged celebrities like Hitler, Stalin and Mao.
All of which had the same welcome and all of which acted just like Trump.
So Trump finally made it into the echelons of historic celebrity.
All he ever wanted was to become famous - mission accomplished.
3
rude, self-serving, insufferable
as hollow and sad as the drunk at the local tavern
full of self loathing because nothing he did was good enough for dad
1
An increase in military spending to counter a Russian threat sounds like preparation for another land war in Europe.
To quote Jerry Seinfeld: "Really??"
1
Are we surprised by Trump's arrogance and lack of diplomacy?...there is a reason why he is hated by millions and millions and millions of people worldwide.
Are you proud of yourselves Republican for what you have done to our country, making it the shameful country it is?
8
What a bunch of hypocrites. They have other dignitaries and world leaders with more sketchy and unconscionable policies and actions. Trump is mostly rhetoric.
Skin and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me. If anything, Brits are the thin-skinned ones if they can be so offended by his remarks. I am more of a mind now that Europe should be left to its own devices.
Our military will be fine and we can sit back and eat popcorn and say I told you so when Russia starts encroaching on your territories. When China goers ahead and steals all your IP, don't come crying to us asking for help. Our coffers are our own, thank you very much.
It doesn't matter whether Trump effectively cracked the whip, scolding NATO allies into "paying up", or if member countries were on that track already. It doesn't matter whether the U.S. pays 90% or 67% of NATO's budget.
All that matters is that Trump's base believes his Fox News-amplified propaganda (with NPR increasingly falling in line as this Administration's more subtle mouthpiece) -- that there was a BIG problem beforehand, and that he can claim credit for fixing it. Big-time.
His brainwashed base does not want to believe they've been expertly manipulated, choosing to cram their fingers in their ears while yelling "FAKE NEWS" when confronted with anything challenging their warped worldview, while some of their (very real) concerns go unaddressed. Instead, hello: (racist & xenophobic) scapegoating.
And yet, David Leonhardt is correct: this is no time for despair. We must find a way to snap through this self-reinforcing, gaslighting feedback loop.
1
Here’s to hoping trump is detained at customs for a really really really long time.
4
Quite comforting to see that when the President and First Lady of the United States descended the stairs from Air Force One they were greeted by minor officials and not a single member of the British Royal Family..and a rather small contingent of the RAF acting as an Honour Guard sans Red Carpet..later at Blenheim Palace they were greeted equally with sparce ceremonial detail, though correct, but by no means had stops been pulled in either welcoming or in greeting the President and his wife..however some Red Carpet was provided on this occasion, to add a trifle of colourful splendour to an otherwise bland gathering of carefully chosen politicos and business types...and there wasn’t the slightest indication that there would be any “Hail to the Chief”...musically or otherwise! Welcome to Britain Mr President!
3
I used to wonder how the nation and Congress could go so wrong in the McCarthy years. Now I have seen it with my own eyes. Deplorable.
7
Next thing I know, Mr. Trump would claim to have forced the sun to not change the course and continue rising in the east.
1
Queen Elizabeth won't be reading the interview with her breakfast, but the palace won't be pleased. One simply does not insult one's hosts.
1
Instead of insisting on yet more military spending by the EU, how about redirecting some of the vast US military budget towards rebuilding Puerto Rico? Remember Puerto Rico?
22
By what right does Trump offer unsolicited and gratuitous comments on the UK’s crisis? The majority Reactionary Party would make short work of Prime Minister May if she tried that here. Members of the Reactionary Party in Congress today said that Peter Strzock showed great hubris in writing some irrelevant texts, albeit on government computers. But Reactionary Party President Donald Trump feels justified in trampling over valued allies in Europe and the UK? We are at risk of losing our republican representative democracy. But those deck chairs on the sinking deck of the Titanic are so much more important than saving the ship. As long as the Reactionary Party wins, the destruction of the country will have been worth it to them. After all, there is money to be made.
5
I just returned from London. All of the natives that I encountered were wonderful individuals, pro-American and staunchly anti-Trump! Thanks for the protests, it warms my heart because I can't stand him either.
13
Trump lost the election by nearly 3,000,000 votes. He does not represent Americans, or our values. "We The People" voted for Mrs Clinton.
A single file line of those 3,000,000 people is much longer than a thousand miles.
Two candidates. One has a line, voting for them, that is a thousand miles longer than the loser. Yet the loser was appointed to the oval office by republicans in the electoral college. republicans stole the supreme court seat from Garland so Trump could install Gorsuch.
republicans have gerrymandered their way into many government offices, and are now trying to manipulate a sidekick of Gorsuch onto the supreme court.
If this other Trump twin is installed, they will both be representing Trump, not America.
5
It seems to me Trump has met with Putin more in 2 years than Obama did in 8 years. And they are about 6-8 months apart. It’s almost as if Trump is having semi annual performance reviews with his boss.
20
As usual, trump insulting everyone in the way with his dictator approach and taking the credit for something he did not do. Both former presidents Bush and Barack Obama asked NATO member governments to increase their domestic budgets on defense. Barack Obama achieved the 2% increase in military spending in 2014 and this commitment was confirmed by NATO countries during the summit.
9
Trump's responses at his "press conference" sounded more like beauty pageant contestants going on about "world peace" because it sound innocuous and can't think of anything else to say. Figures, maybe he should go back to what he's good at, but I wouldn't wish that on the contestants again.
8
Trump should visit the Tower of London, and before he leaves, slam the door and throw away the key.
7
What with the disaster that is Brexit and the humiliation of their weak leader having to host and grovel to Trump it is a good thing the Brits have that stiff upper lip. They're gonna need it... and hopefully that will see them through.
5
Oh no! First it was a parade after visiting France. Now Trump will come back wanting a palace.
12
You've seen nothing yet. The number of protestors coming out tomorrow will dwarf what we saw today. Just finishing up my sign.
29
Thank you so very much. Wish I could be there.
3
Peace and safety be with you all (Fox Trump State TV will be scouring for any footage they can run on a loop entitled "terrorists riot against Our Dear President", and anybody in the crowd with brown/black skin and/or a head covering will receive dedicated close-ups. I hope your Mayor avoids attending: trump's media machine is, undoubtedly, geared up and chomping at the bit to get coverage of him because they've already, erroneously of course, blamed him for orchestrating the Baby Trump balloon and the protests).
1
Allegedly, Mr. Bannon has been in London this week meeting with Boris Johnson. Oh and Sean Hannity happens to be in London too. So when Mr. Trump speaks with these “advisors” we end up with him trashing the host of his trip.
I hope the Queen pulls “a Putin” and lets her dogs into the room when she meets with Mr. Trump. The thought of all those barking dogs will at least puts a smile on our faces.
8
Our President is hounded even more disrespectfully by MSM in order to not be outdone by foreign protesters. And the more our own press ratchets up the hatred of a sitting US President, the more distant the left’s November dreams become. Not to mention President Trump’s 2020 re-election.
Wishful thinking. Over one hundred thousand people, in a foreign country and our ally, nonetheless, are coming out to protest him. What more proof do you need that Trump is the most unpopular US President in recent history?
13
Winston Churchill will be rolling over in his grave tonight.
6
Just reported: Trump has told PM May that if there is a "soft Brexit" there will be no trade agreement between the US and Britain because it would be akin to the US making a trade deal with the EU. Tell me he isn't trying to 1) break up the EU; and 2) topple May's government in the hopes that a pro-trump, hardline right-winger takes over the party....the little toad, Boris Johnson, would be willing to at least pretend to play the part for a shot at being PM. Bannon's been in London this past week hosting/meeting with all the right-wing nationalists from across the Continent: no doubt they were having a ball plotting May's downfall.
Trump really does think he's the king of the world: marches in "I told them I wouldn't be happy if they did this or didn't do that, blah blah blah...".
His delusions of grandeur have fully matured: the world exists to obey, to bow, and to do all things in service of making him happy (a fool's errand in any event).
I'm watching this bunch of Republicans, still going at it with Strzok. That Party is intellectually vacuous, and it is beyond contestation that bad faith is their only mode of operation: join the party and it becomes bred in the bone. In tv performance art they are second only to their Dear Leader.
7
What will Trump give away when he meets Putin?
5
While Trump gets a state dinner at Blenheim Palace, hosted by the Prime Minister, Elizabeth May (who is not the head of state in Britain...the Queen is), President Obama was honored by a State Dinner hosted by the Queen...at Buckingham Palace, (big difference) in May of 2011.
Trump will get a polite cup of tea from the Queen, after watching the protocol dictated salutes, and inspecting the Guard...and then sent on his way.
What a class insult by the Queen! Well done!
16
I see that European leaders subscribe to best parenting practices: No matter how much you're tempted to spank the baby it's always a bad idea.
6
Lets keep giving him the boot when he gets home like they did in England. Putin will give him orders to continue dismantling nato and he will be laughing at Trump when he sees him doing it. The GOP are failures and making America a failure.
14
"A band wearing black pants, red coats with gold detail and black furry hats was assembled on both sides of the red carpet, and a crowd of black tie-clad people were in front of the palace awaiting the president’s arrival."
Furry hats?! Yes, they are. They're usually referred to as bearskins, however. The band was comprised of members of the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards, and the Welsh Guards regiments.
Regardless, Trump didn't deserve the pomp and ceremony of it all.
15
Sadly, anyone who has been to grounds at Blenheim knows that any protests there are meant for the press alone as the entrance to the estate is FAR from the great house. Not that it matters, but it's unlikely Trump would even know any protesters were there. It's important for readers to know that sometimes -- actually often -- many political protests are Potemkin Villages of sorts.
Readers of The Times owe it to themselves to read The WSJ on occasion. I've been on vacation this week and I've been reading it as the hotel provides it free. I'm loath to purchase it. Their editorial section is an opening onto another world. Not the rabid lower castes of Trumpcon, AKA, Fox, but rather the well-reasoned incredulity of those who would argue to not abandon ship as the Titanic was unsinkable and therefore, could not go under. It's the sort of logic that's pretty hard to argue with right up to the point that it kills you.
We seem to be at a point that the authors of our constitution could not have envisioned. This Trump fellow is terrorizing the free world and enabling tyrants. He must be immobilized somehow. We have 5 past-presidents still living, 4 of which are still relatively of sound mind and body representing both parties. Surely they could step in and form some sort of confederate of presidents until the next election.
This is not an idle suggestion. It's no less plausible than the current cabinet activating the 25th amendment.
33
Trump has a completely uninformed mind for foreign policy. He'll never change is 1960's view of the world.
5
This behavior shouldn't come as a surprise to Prime Minister May, Trump is about as appropriate as a guest relieving them self on the bushes lining your driveway.
16
Thank you, protestors, for challenging our horrible, megalomaniacal president. He deserves this greeting everywhere he goes for the rest of his (hopefully) short time in office and for the rest of life. He deserves no less for having ripped children from their parents, some so young they cannot even remember their mothers and fathers when/if they are reunited.
18
The main reason why Trump wants countries to "spend more" is because his country will benefit the most by supplying them with "arms". Remember how Cheney made his millions? What a deal for Trump--get other nations to "buy" billions of dollars worth of military and armament from the US countries who produce them. Trump knows that the US has had the monopoly of the military technology --which is what the US has always wanted--why on earth would any country wish for another country to have the means to destroy each other? It doesn't make sense. Any reasonable world leader would wish for an arms "reduction" in the world--not an increase. What a slippery slope Trump is sending his country down. Sad.
14
"... word emerged that he had given a newspaper interview in which he criticized her handling of the Brexit negotiations and appeared to boost the fortunes of a political rival."
This is the wrong conclusion. Do you think the British will have a higher opinion of Boris Johnson because Trump likes him? It is exactly the opposite. If Trump wants to hurt PM May then he should give her his strong endorsement.
7
Unfortunately, to all the advocates of Hard Brexit this will be music to their ears and it’ll just embolden them. In their Brexit fantasy, we leave the poisoned clutches of the EU with their penchant for regulation and fall straight into the hands of wealthy US corporations eyeing our market hungrily.
These advocates include the loud tabloid press, the figureheads of the Leave campaign (Farage and his fellow traitorous sleazebags), wealthy donors and particularly those in the Tory Party with the potential to make the government fall. Trump, by emboldening these people and leading them on, has the potential to cause serious, life-changing problems for everyday people here by giving his two cents worth and weakening an already weak government in the same week as two prominent cabinet members quit.
5
Blenheim palace is NOT in London, it's north of Oxford 60 miles away. LOL
The dare not take him into London!!
16
It seems appropriate that Trump is in the U.K. The people of Great Britain made a big mistake, voting to exit the EU, based on false promises that by doing so, a great deal of money would be freed up to invest in improving the National Health program. At about the same time, a great many people in The United States decided not to vote. As a consequence, a relatively small percentage of those people who did vote, who happened to live in strategic states, managed to put into office someone with strange, delusional ideas [for example, a confused idea of what percent of its gas imports Germany buys from Russia]. So now representatives of these two beleaguered countries sit down to break bread together. Theresa May May be aware of what a desperate situation her nation is in. Her counterpart lives in a world of delusion. To him, the sparkle of the polished silver soup spoons must be very comforting and reassuring.
12
I really don't need to know Mr. Trump's hourly whereabouts. I'd prefer he just disappear into the ether and let America get back to being a decent country that treats its allies and friends well.
33
All Trump related headlines need to be placed in context with the words "rather than working to reunite children with their parents"....or "while children remain separated from their families" ...or "despite 3000 children still unable to be with their family".
My question, why don't all the major news outlets have a countdown ticker keeping us informed about progress towards reuniting these kids with their parents? It should run on the front page above the fold...every day.
16
The lather that readers of this article get themselves into is highly amusing.
No, NATO is not coming to an end. Trump has simply called the Euro bluff and not before time. No, Trump is not giving away Western Civilization because he's meeting with Putin.
This hysteria about anything Trump is embarrassing.
2
What is embarrassing is to have a president who is ignorant about basic facts, spouts untruths on a daily basis, insults anybody who disagrees with him, seeks conflicts with allies while kowtowing to authoritarians and dictators, focuses on imagined crises (immigration, NATO spending) while failing to work on real ones (health care, infrastructure, education, climate change, etc.).
18
Your first photograph looked as if May, her spouse, and the Trumps were making their last brave face before facing the guillotine. I only wish Trump had the intelligence and savvy to successfully negotiate while remaining friends with our allies and handling Putin like the snake he is. Reminds of the Shakespeare saying, "one may smile and smile and still be a villain."
12
UK must try to understand that this anomaly of American "leadership" shall pass and trump will be dumped into the dustbin of history.
10
Love you London but might I suggest that you
put your energies towards improving your own country? The United States will survive Donald Trump. Perhaps your efforts are best spent figuring out how to survive brexit.
2
We feel as if USA is back in 18 th century. Then fighting to get free from UK's colonial tax throttle. Now same with EU : USA's Trump imagining EU / NATO is spoiling his new found romance with Russia's Putin. Now Trump is a fully paid trump card of dictator Putin. Trump is uncomfortable with free speech, dissent if it hurts his image ( and his family's business interests ) just like Putin ( and his oligarchs ). Soul mates. These 2 leaders can take credit for taking the world back to old racial fault lines of 19 th century.
17
One of our oldest and most important allies had to erect a cage around the embassy to protect the President. If he was in Jerusalem then I would understand, but this is the American embassy in London, for crying out loud.
29
Putin will let Trump bully him in public but in real negotiations behind close doors Putin will come out ahead. It will be a win win for both, Putin will keep the golden shower tapes as a bargaining chip.
14
Dear Europe,
Please bear with us.
We hope to rid ourselves of this nightmare presidency before long.
Thanks for your support and patience,
America
48
"...force of 30 land battalions, 30 aircraft squadrons and 30 warships within 30 days. The initiative reflects a “30-30-30-30” plan pushed by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and meant to deter Russian aggression in Europe."
Hello, Generals! The battle for the West is already being fought in cyberspace, and you have no readiness plan?
All is lost.
5
Hi NYT
Your President is having a sleep-over at Winfield House in a park on the edge of central London, then scurrying round various locations in the Home Counties before scarpering off to some golf-course in Scotland. Hardly a visit to London!
I wonder if he'll have had time to watch the videos of the Obama's state visit, which showed a gracious and charming first couple to very good advantage in a number of settings. If he has watched them, I wonder if he will find it in himself to account for the remarkable differences.
The whole thing is very telling. How embarrassing this must be for you, and for us in the UK, having to cosy up to a monster because we have for reasons which elude me decided to give the EU a sort-of brush off, whatever it turns out that we mean by "Brexit means Brexit".
21
What would really impress me, would be if they just ordered take out. Trump’s not the embarrassment, this whole phony formal affair is the embarrassment.
2
Hope the demonstrators make his life as miserable as he is making ours. And let's not forget which party knowingly nominated, supported, financed (with laundered Russian money) and installed him (with Russian help), illegitimately to the presidency: the REPUBLICAN PARTY. And let's remember that this November.
15
At this rate we’ll soon have a president that won’t be welcome nowhere in the world anymore.
14
Well, maybe welcome in Moscow or Pyongyang.
4
Blenheim Palace is a 'Rent-the-House' for dinner or a wedding. It is where Winston Churchill was born and quite beautiful but royals don't hangout there. Trump may be disappointed that he won't be able to find or wear a crown for the rental evening.
17
now here is a thought that not too many folks have latched on to regarding nato.
quite a few european nations are really not that serious about the threat from russia and therefore are unwilling to expend their hard earned siller on armaments. twenty five of the twenty eight members don't have any multinational corporations to defend. the national social requirements for them are more important than buying bombs etc. sure these countries all have little armies but they are generally just show gestures not to be taken too serious. sure their is this talk that the u s has had to come to the rescue twice of these european countries but then they did this voluntarily at the behest of mostly the u k's pleading. and you know that the first involvement one could say begot the second w w due to the fact that they(the americans) were not able to control the details of the final treaty.
2
Before I awoke to harsh reality, I enjoyed a pleasant dream last night of a time when we had an adult president.
18
Best not to analyze that too deeply, considering what you could have been dreaming about.
The trump’s want to meet royalty. He most likely suggested his own knighthood. The English remember when they separated children from parents during WWII, but their intent was protecting children from harm. In no way was that trump and miller’s intent.
The world is trapped at the moment with a vicious administration. Well not the entire world...just the free one.
4
His own royalty? I too would like to say, " 'night, Donald !"
Thank you to the London protesters for giving 45 the welcome that he deserves.
27
For me, I am looking to the views of the NATO meeting, not from the POTUS, but from the leaders of the other countries. Why do I think they'll have a more truthful, fact based account of what happened? As an American, I should believe why the leader of my country says, but nothing he says bears any relationship to the truth. This isn't good.
5
As a photog, I can see who Doug Mills wanted to feature in this photo ... and well done. The strength of color and depth of field go beyond what Photoshop could do.
I guess Philip May is used to being in the background.
4
"ostensible allies" you say. How sad is that. You have a really bad democratic system that throws up a lout like Trump despite millions of votes more going to a far better candidate. And this guy's human toxicity is such that things have degenerated to the point where we are now "ostensible" allies. Sad. I would not want to underestimate the fundamental goodness of the United States to battle back and give itself once again a meaningful democracy, but it will be a hugely difficult struggle with the prominence of frankly evil forces such as Fox News and Sinclair systematically misinforming people, and guys like the Koch Brothers skillfully exploiting Citizens United to indoctrinate citizens to believe government cannot or should not help them. You are the ONLY country in the world to deny human caused climate change which reflects your seriously toxic public information deficit. Yet there is so much wonderful goodness in SO MANY Americans that we can't assume that somehow you will not battle back from this to once again claim your place among the enlightened nations of the world. I sure hope you do, because if you hit the toilet, I fear my country will closely follow you down the drain, so powerful are the waves you make around us.
9
Seems like the Brits are outdoing us on protests. Why isn't Trump greeted with that kind of outrage everywhere he goes here?
29
Because he stays safely within the Red State bubble.
2
The UK has fought alongside the US in 2 world wars and a couple of questionable wars. 4 generations of Trumps avoided military service in this country. He should get the bums rush out the door.
31
Melania Trump is the epitome of CLASS, BEAUTY, HUMILITY, and INTEGRITY!
Easily the most stunning since Jackie...and more so in some ways.
We are SO fortunate to have her as the current FIRST LADY.
And before you begin hurling the inevitable partisan insults and attacks, let me say that Michelle Obama was incredible in her own right - I loved her too. So no need to compare them, right?
4
Trump: turning our USA's longtime allies into antagonists. Not yet enemies, but give him time.
17
One thing you gotta love about London is how personal all the public spaces are. Most of the streets are very narrow and compact, as are many of the buildings, especially in Westminster. It's not like D.C. were there are large open spaces that can be cordoned off easily. To get into Parliament, it's just a 30 minute wait to go through the metal detectors, first stairs on your right, kindly hand your phone to the sergeant at arms, and then just like that you're in spitting distance of the Peers of the Realm. When people shout here, they're generally heard.
20
In reply to AJ Garcia Atlanta
If you were within spitting distance of Peers of the Realm, you must have been in the House of Lords. The real power is in the Commons which is where Winston Churchill used to hold forth.
Trump changed absolutely ZERO here and is, of course, lying about having gone in there with his art of the deal and gotten exactly what he wanted. This deal was determined under Obama in 2014 - all NATO counterparts would be at 2% by 2024 and all on target to be so, with some slated to reach 2% before 2024. And Trump went ahead and signed the declaration and NOTHING in it is different! For all those who think Trump actively goes around whining about a problem just so he can then pretend to have solved it are off the mark - he is so unintelligent and uninformed (and I'm entirely convinced, illiterate) he doesn't understand the "problems" or "solutions" and can't even read to understand what is happening or what he is signing. He just believes the voices in his own head. Someone make this monster go away (and if we can make Sanders, Conway, Ivanka, Jared, Pense, and all Trump's loathsome supporters vanish as well, the world can start to heal)
9
Le Figaro summed it up
"NATO: Trump bends Europe before meeting Putin
A second blow against the insufficiency of the European military expenses pushed Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel to admit that the American president was not quite wrong and to answer him by taking action "
President Obama in 2016 called the Europeans "free riders" a term that generated howls of protest in the UK, but the Guardian defended him:
"Mind you, when it comes to the Nato allies, Obama is right. Sheltering under the big American umbrella since 1945, most Europeans have become comfortably well-off and lazy, more concerned with having a nice time than with the basics of self-defence."
Obama identified the problem, was too polished to obtain results.
5
Except of course that the agreement to reach 2% of GDP for defense spending was reached in 2014. And the POTUS in 2014 was...?
41
I take it you are of the happy, small band that believes Trump also got great results from North Korea, has never ever gone bankrupt, and ran a great university.
Must be nice. The rest of us just have to know stuff and pay attention to facts, lke that Bush got the 2% commitment back in 2006, Gates pushed further in 2011, the deadline's in six years, two EU leaders said loudly that they didn't agree to a thing, Vlad the Putin interfered in our election and Trump doesn't seem to want to say so for some reason...
8
The drive to increase military spending benefits companies that produce these weapons. That’s why this is happening. Obviously the sane thing to do would be to de-escalate the conflict and encourage Russia to do the same. But there is too much money to be made with war and the trappings of war.
36
A band wearing black pants, red coats with gold detail and black furry hats was assembled on both sides of the red carpet,
I expected a better attempt to describe the one of the finest regiments in the British Army
The Foot Guards formed in Coldstream in Scotland in 1650 is only one of the five Guards which form the Household division. I won't labour the point but I suggest that Doug Mills look into the history of the Household Guards and not try to belittle an honourable regiment.
26
He may have felt that mentioning the Regiment's great name alongside Trump's dishonored the Regiment.
5
"The meeting with Mr. Putin will be closely analyzed for signs that Mr. Trump is friendlier to his Russian counterpart than to the leaders he is meeting in Brussels." The answer is known already; Trump's loyalty is with Putin; Trump has been a key money-launderer for Putin and his vassals for many years, and continues that role to this day.
24
Yes, comments in this news media will admonish our president; but, more importantly is our nation (Congress and SCOTUS), continue to allow the GOP party to bypass our constitutional rights, to allow lying to our nation, to allow GOP financial self gratification, to allow our citizens to be without basic medical benefits, to reinforce the GOP objective of wealth first, and care for American citizens last. When will the people stand up and remove Trump from office.
17
This article on Trump's U.K. visit interested me because although I do not know a lot about politics I find the topic to be very exciting in general. Just from reading this article I can tell that by no means Trump is doing good for our country. As a president he has promised this country many things and very little of them have actually happened. This trip has just given more proof of him being a bad president. Overall this weeks article in the Times was a topic i find very interesting because it directly effects me and this country.
6
Apparently Trump is having an easier time running the world than he did keeping an Atlantic City casino solvent at a time when most other casinos in Atlantic City were making money. NATO is now great. North Korea denuclearization is a done deal. Something does not add up. To all those who think The House is winning because "owner" Trump ("my government") tells them it is, you'd best ask for an accounting.
19
If we survive this, and come out the other side with a legitimate, ethical president, like we had with our last real president, Barack Obama; I will feel sorry for that person and the mess they are going to have to clean up, the agencies they will have to rebuild, and yes, also for the very long apology tour they are going to have to undertake to win back our global allies. We are merely lucky now, as they are showing great patience.
Apologies for the run-on sentence.
21
“OSTENSIBLE” allies? Ostensible makes it sound as though they are not necessarily allies.
2
Thank you London! Your protests are most appreciated from this side of the pond.
32
Like it or not, he is a reflection of both the values of many, many of our citizens, and of our national dysfunction.
Nothing less....
11
As I remember, Trump was criticized for exiting the Paris Accord, from many of these same allies, so why is it so terrible that he was criticizing these allies now, for being NATO scofflaws, especially economic powerhouse Germany, who only is at 1.2%, but could well afford to be at 2%.
4 NATO members other than the US met or exceed their targets, so all is good with at least these 4 members. US, 3.61%, Greece, 2.38%, Britain, 2.21%, Estonia, 2.16%, Poland, 2%.
5
The problem is not with other nations spending too little...the real problem is with the US spending too much, and sinking it's citizens into too much debt.
The US military-industrial complex is maintained not just for defense purposes, but for purely political pork barreling to ensure every State gets a piece of the pie. It is plainly out of control, with politicians giving the Military more money (which the Government doesn't have) than was asked for by the Generals.
By deploying hugely expensive carrier centric fleets around the world, the US is continuing an ancient, but obsolete policy of projecting power.
Today, modern nuclear warfare can be initiated in seconds, with similar times available for defensive decisions. Surely the time has come to put all citizens ahead of military spending, and provide universal, or single pay health insurance for all. With Trump now making ridiculous noises to have member NATO nations contribute 4% of GDP to defense spending, the time has come to hold your Government to account...after all...who exactly is the enemy Donald...ISIS, Putin, China, Kim...or maybe just yourself?
Trump tries to convey the impression that the US has been fighting wars alone...that did not work in Vietnam...and they certainly have not been fighting in Afghanistan alone, or anywhere else for that matter. There is a coalition of 16 nations that was formed to fight these battles. Those have not yet been won.
5
Why don’t we all go to 1% and get healthcare, education , and perhaps a cure for cancer ?
2
Mr Trump brings to the table a vision shared by the GOP and Putin that the Republicans are afraid to acknowledge. Rather than argue the merits of the Russian model of a state religion, a rubber stamp legislature and judiciary, a autocratic and totally empowered executive, an executive that promotes intolerance and racism, a military and police that is answerable only to the executive, a financial elite who are the only counter balance to the executive the Republicans refuse to be honest and say they want what Russia has. They want us to dismiss the blackballing of Judge Garland, the Citizen's United decision, the suppression of voting rights, the destruction and vilification of those best equipped to run and administer a modern technologically advanced state and the undermining of democracy around the world as being the core of GOP belief.
Mr Trump has clearly demonstrated that the Republican base wants Russian governance and from here in Canada it seems the polarization and the hatred being fostered by the Republicans refusing to acknowledge that they embrace the kind of government Mr Trump says he wants would at least clear up the confusion that denial so empowers. It is time to stop the obfuscation Trump is the Republican Party and the Republican base and the Trump base are one and the same and they want Russian Democracy and despise the liberal democracy countries like Canada, Germany, France and Britain have.
31
russia doesn't have a democracy. That is where we are headed.
3
My grandmother is a 94 year old Holocaust survivor who emigrated to America after the war. Since the 2016 election, not a day has gone by where she isn’t feeling increasingly distressed and concerned for the future of not only her own children and grandchildren, but your children and grandchildren, too.
Commenters here who are in favor of any of this administration's activities, including the idea of a US withdrawal from NATO, appear to have missed out on essential aspects of education, and need to read a few history books and spend time visiting a Holocaust museum in order to begin gaining some perspective on the national and international ramifications of Trump’s words and actions.
If you’re unable to get through an entire book, there’s a succinct but important message and reminder here from another survivor of a regime that was rooted in hate, ignorance, suppression, discord, and division: http://prospect.org/article/begin-again-trump-through-eyes-holocaust-sur...
33
Europeans do not lose sleep over America. Why is America so anxious in regards to how Europeans perceive America?
These "Pressure Groups" do not represent the everyday person. The individuals time and their signs are brought.
2
The signs are brought, but people don't have to bring their own time (they just have to spend it).
2
Who is paying who to protest? That’s a serious allegation.
By keeping Donald Trump traveling and attending more summits (and fewer rallies) we get to see how he “spins” the entire world into believing that he is strong and in control while behaving weak, insecure and untrustworthy.
So, let’s “spin” him by continuing to see him up close, in the open, and “real” - relative to other leaders, in dialogue, in other countries, and for a purpose other than his own re-election.
5
What's clear about the effect of Trump as president is that the country is, by and large, enormously unhappy and un-proud and un-together. This from being embarrassed by him as head of state in what he says and does in a spirit of arrogant vileness both here and abroad. None of this is a joking matter. His creating continually chaos through contradictions that are clearly intentional and for which there has been no substantive accountability, begs the question of whether this country is even just in spirit. That this is Trump's unique way for holding power is without precedent ... and yet extremely effective to that end for him. Of course, having the support of Congress as he now does, is to his favor. Except at polling stations with upcoming elections, there doesn't seem to be a way to constrain Trump's malice ... and that's its name. To me this is like being ruled by evil with its dependent presence of lie. The fact that Trump maintains strong support among many citizens makes, for me anyway, the matter much worse. Without basic morality rooted in truth and generous goodwill at the public level, we as a nation are surely in grave danger. Right now Trump "has" us and, to some extent, the world. It may be time to become serious about choosing a nominee for president, considering the power of that office. Certainly, showing up at the polling station in November is, in a different but related vein, crucial.
11
There are millions that don’t feel the way you do.
If a photo could say a thousand words: look at those sour faces. Not a smile in the bunch!
14
The word is out
Robert Mueller
Nobel Prize
21
Thank you, London.
Donald Trump should be confronted at every available opportunity.
Unfortunately, his own party does not have the courage to do that.
18
Either do most Americans. It will take 1968 level protests to stop this madness.
6
And the clown and his entourage move on to London. The “stable genius” won’t feel secure and respected (falsely) until Helsinki and his puppet master - Vladimir Putin.
16
When will The New York Times realize that a huge number of its paying subscribers are not anti-Trump just for the sake of being anti-Trump? Every president has his (and someday her) critics. That's as it should be. But TNY (like so many other publications, such as the Times Literary Supplement -- a separate, sad example) will keep losing subscribers if it does not begin to criticize without resorting to raw and unnecessary venom.
7
The words "huge number" and "losing subscribers" are totally subjective. Also, since the NYT and other members of the news media have been declared "Enemies of the American People," a little rawness and venom is to be expected, although unpleasant facts can be perceived as raw and venomous. Journalists are also citizens and citizens don't take kindly to being threatened.
1
The Brits absolutely loathe Trump, from the North of Scotland to the South of England, East and West.
15
Why exactly are the British protesting and calling Trump a racist? Did they forget that 2 years ago they voted to exit the EU on the basis that way too many Eastern Europeans , Middle Eastern and Northern Africans were threatening their way of living ,western values and their blue eyes...
So why don't you deal with your dirty laundry first and then worry about what is happening an ocean away...
6
In part it is the realization that the Brexit vote is becoming a disaster for Britain that has resulted in so many protesting Trump. You may be sure that the vast majority if not all of those protesting voted against Brexit.
14
Like here in the US, the older part of the population is afraid of change. Thus they and the uneducated pushed thru a agenda predicated on fear. These were not the people who voted for brexit,which narrowly won. Just like protesters in the US- they didn't vote for the great orange hate monger, but are protesting the results. Its called democracy and freedom of speech, get used to it.
I hope more protests take place here, everywhere trump and his cronies go. Both countries are stuck after russian meddling in each plebiscite. We know of ours, UK is just connecting dots on some of the impact of russian meddling.
2
I agree. I'm not a Trump supporter but find the protests across the pond hypocritical. Where are the protests when the Saudi Arabians meet the Queen? Or other heads of states with atrocious human rights' records?
Furthermore,I lived in England for many years, and sadly many will use anything to stir up feelings of anger towards the US.
Great Britain lost in the World Cup, May's government is falling apart and Trump is visiting. That is three disasters with a week.
35
The World Cup is a game. May can be replaced. The only real disaster is Trump.
12
Do you think maybe the United States paid more money to the NATO defense fund because we were the ones occupying military bases in all these other countries around the word, pre-emptively striking sovereign nations, and leading the "war against terror" around the globe? Maybe?
31
I wonder if Trump & his supporters & other U S citizens really want other countries to have truly powerful militaries. Granted 2 or 4 percent of their GDP will give them smaller militaries than us. But still. It might be harder for us to keep bullying everyone else and calling all the shots. I think a lot of people here would not like that at all.
6
I would love to say thank you to the British protesters for holding the torch of democracy and decency in the name of all who hate this "president."
36
Important to understand that all this verbal abuse has a simple reason behind it. When Putin decides to move against Latvia, Lithuania and/or Estonia (cut off energy to the Ukraine or do whatever that threatens European security interests or wherever), Commander-in-chief Bone Spur can use a variety of excuses, ranging from fake news, to doubt about the real reason for NATO's requests for action to simply saying that they should have spent more on defense and the US can't bail them out.
Putin's Poodle is loyal.
16
Well, the monster is here. And we look forward to showing him precisely how much we like him (not).
As for ordinary Americans here, we like the yanks and have no animosity towards our friends and allies. You are lovely, hospitable and warm people. We just can't tolerate Trump especially as he continues with his delusions. Listen, we know he lives in La La Land, but as Brits we must disabuse him of a few myths.
On a personal note, having embarrassing politicians can be soul destroying. Our aristocratic bunch are equally as bad. We cringe as soon as they open their mouths. Believe me we have a whole line of them that should be put in the stocks for the tomato treatment. So we understand about Donny Rotten and are in amazement at his overuse of 'tremendous'. Not a word I would have associated with the NATO Summit but myths abound and unicorns do exist in certain places.
One day, someone will stand up to him and win. We will all be elated. Meantime, we do not give up and we do not get side-tracked by his shannanekins and the TV reality show of threats and blackmail.
22
Here, we are learning all about the seedy side your aristocracy from "Patrick Melrose". Trump obviously took some paternal abuse in his own youth.
1
Trump lacks basic self-awareness and insight. He could afford the best therapy in the world. He lacks even the basic ability to engage in treatment for his severe personality disorder(s).
I wish the Times and other media, instead of or in addition to reacting to Trump's daily planned outrages, would present consolidated regular analyses of the ways in which he works against the United States' interests, advances a White Supremacist agenda, solidifies authoritarianism, undermines the rule of law, disrupts an orderly government, and advances Putin's agenda. Technically, Trump may not be a traitor yet, but no president has worked this aggressively to eviscerate what has been good for the United States and its allies. The media still seem so timid, so merely reactive.
27
The good people of Britain show the strength of our alliance by getting into the imposter's face. As someone noted: "When you realize that he is NOT on our side, it all begins to make sense."
Thank you for standing up for what is Right, True and Just.
We will endure!
17
Don't worry United Kingdom, Trump not welcome in many places in this country either.
22
A daily embarrassment. We, the people, apologize to Britain.
23
How I envy the Europeans!
In few days trump will be gone from their shores leaving only the stench of his lies and malevolence, which will dissipate quickly in the face of the north winds.
We have to put up with him for another two and a half years, barring some heroic action from Mr. Mueller and his staff. I am sure our great nation will survive and ultimately re-emerge from this disastrous lunacy. I hope I am strong enough to survive it too.
17
In England, they can hold an election when they lose faith in an incumbent administration, about six weeks after the Parliament votes "No Confidence".
11
I don't envy them. May is almost just as bad.
I wish Americans were as bold as Europeans in protesting Trump. I'm disheartened that Trump is not booed at every turn here in the United States.
19
Trump takes great care to go only where he will be met with the mindless idiots who worship him.
9
Succinctly put, Tom. It's absolutely perplexing not to see daily protests, marches, and demonstrations across the US.
4
The Base would start shooting protesters. It is not safe to protest in america where even the leader advocates for violence against citizens. And yes he has advocated for violence against protesters at his rallies.
2
What's getting me through this terrible Trump presidency is knowing that most of the world will celebrate with me when he's gone.
That can't be soon enough.
29
Pretty sad to be in a situation where many Americans happily cheer for the foreigners protesting against Trump.
Economist magazine recently had an apt cover about Trump:
It showed Trump riding atop a swinging wrecking ball.
The caption: "Trump's foreign policy".
17
Seems that Trump used this opportunity to deflect from his all too real problems with Mueller's investigation by accusing Germany of being under Russian control by blurting out totally false percentages. It seems to bother him that those billions of dollars did not go to the U.S. to cover part of the irresponsible $trillion + tax deduction for the rich. His fracking proposals to Germany fell on deaf ears as well.
NATO members had agreed to increase their contributions but he just had to get his 5 cents in it by trying to accelerate payments, and then to top it all, came the 4% extortion; working for his base!!!
2
He'll claim that more people came out to see him than came to see Meghan's and Harry's wedding.
8
Hey Trump and Trump supporters. It's more than money. NATO troops killed in Afghanistan supporting the American war there...UK 453 dead, Canada 158 dead, France 88 dead, Germany 57 dead, Italy 53 dead, Poland 44 dead, Denmark 43 dead. Many more have been seriously wounded. So far, no troops from Russia, China, North Korea, or from the Trump family or family members of Congress or the Supreme Court have been killed in Afghanistan. (I believe that the Supreme Court is pure...pretty sure that none of the current members or the newly nominated Kavanaugh or their children have ever served in the military, let alone in combat.) Approximately 300 not-yet-citizen immigrants in the U.S. military have died in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars, a lot of them from Mexico.
21
I hope President Trump reminds Israel and Saudi Arabia, as for NATO, of their advantageous situation of US allies.
1
The fact that Trump has the title of "president" doesn't make him more honest or smarter or brilliant. He is just supported by a structure of lies and the terrifying part of all this is the fact that his gullible electors ARE the pillars of his political existence.
6
How can an American anywhere fail to be discouraged and saddened by a President who refers to himself as “a very stable genius” in an international setting and then claims to have received guarantees from fellow NATO members to increase their contributions to their own country’s defense budgets only to have those members say minutes later that they agreed to no such thing? Donald Trump has creditably been found to have lied to the American people thousands of times since he became president and now he continues to do so outside our borders, bringing shame to the United States.
14
Enough with the dramatic photographs of world leaders standing in a line at attention. Both of the leaders in your lead picture barely have a constituency in their own country.
4
The US Embassy advises Americans in London "to keep a low profile" for a few days. Americans in London should be out there shoulder to shoulder with our British brothers and sister protesting this despicable man. The British are protesting Trump, not the American people.
31
The US Senate voted 97 - 2 in support of NATO.
A little good news would be nice once in a while.
11
It’s really fun watching leftists and liberals defending the status quo. Trump is turning tables everywhere. It’s radical and I love it!
4
What you say makes no sense.
2
What? Trump is the uncool kid in the room who is so ignorant he has to shout out the obvious and make a scene instead of allowing diplomacy to proceed smoothly. He's a buffoon, he changed nothing, did nothing other than point out the obvious and reinforce the image of the ignorant ugly American. All previous presidents have pressured NATO to increase spending, they agreed in 2104. Of course Barack Obama didn't spout off the obvious low hanging issues in public, because he has tack and class. I ask this question...who will have trumps back if it comes to that? He respects no one but dictators, who would slit his throat if they could. Who will back this man in a time of need? He airs everyone dirty laundry like a low class carnival barker. Who are trumps friends? Has anyone asked this? Who would actually consider Trump a friend?
7
I cannot understand how the supposedly "Law & Order" Republicans sit by silently and catatonically while Trump attacks and demeans the FBI, the intelligence organizations, NATO, our allies, former FBI directors like Mueller, the US Attorneys like Preet Bahara, John McCain, etc. And the only people he really praises are Putin and the other dictators like Erdogan, and the new fascists in charge of Italy and Hungary. Trump knows nothing about the history of Europe and how WW1 and WW2 changed the world.
9
It could be kompromat, or a steady deluge of credible threats to themselves coming from the unregulated militia that purports to keep the US safe from being governed by anyone.
3
Why does every country have to increase their spending. How about a decrease in spending?
Oh wait, I forgot. The military industrial complex with whom Trump is friends (i.e. donation friends) need to make more money in an already bloated defense department budget.
Hey Trump, live over here where every surrounding county has been trying to kill us for centuries. Then you can worry about your NATO type demands which are today's international joke.
6
Is there a place to buy those `Trump Not Welcome' signs?
6
The article reports that Trump will stay at his club in Scotland. How much money are we taxpayers giving to the club to pay for security, rooms, and other expenses associated with Trump's overnight stay. It is an outrage that I have to give that guy's business any money at all. Truly, he is a hero of the "forgotten people"-making them pay for his stay at his OWN CLUB. Not to mention the millions we are pouring into his coffers when he goes to his own clubs in NJ or FLA. What a great guy
11
Good for the protesters. He should be booed wherever he goes, at home and abroad. If I ever encounter Trump coming through my town I will boo him too, but I very much doubt he has the spine to face the public here.
9
How would anyone ever know what the Trumpster believes in? Canada- up now down, England- up now down, Germany- up now down, NATO- down then up then down now up, North Korea- down now up, Russia- up and up and up.
One thing is clear Trump may believe in is Trump. He is self-righteous and wholly ignorant of how to deal with and treat people especially those who are democratic and peace-loving. It is clear that Trump loves Himself, Russia and Putin. It is absolutely clear that he does not CARE about anything else!!
4
"The U.S. Embassy has warned Americans in London to “keep a low profile” from Thursday until Saturday."
Are you kidding? I wished I was there to protest Trump vigorously. I think I'd be safe with the Brits given that. In fact, I'd ask them, "How can I emigrate here?"
8
Dude! How Handmaids Tale is that?
3
Napoleon and Josephine just arrived in London.
13
amazing how divisive this person is .... person being trump! Shameful to have him represent our country. The day trump is vacated from his office will be a day the world will celebrate - it will be the end of the trump war on the US and the world. In the mean time we love the Brits for their message to him ! He is NOT welcome back home either !!!!
10
I wonder if we could get a hold of the baby-Trump balloon for the next Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York?
21
The world laughs. The US cries.
8
People criticized Hillary for describing Trump fans as "deplorables". Now that we see what Trump is doing to the reputation of the United States around the world while he serves his boss Putin, Hillary obviously had it right!! But she only won by 3 million popular votes. Not enough in the rigged election of 2016.
13
GOD Bless the Brits! It is plain to all who care to open their eyes that Trump is a divisive fascist as well as an unschooled and humiliating representative of our nation. The ONLY reason that this obvious scoundrel is still in office is by virtue of this vast inherited wealth coupled with the powers vested in the office he currently occupies. He can not only BUY LOYALTY, but he can dismiss opposition at will. He and his followers are obviously as unAmerican to our nations values as one can get, and FAR more dangerous due to this vast INHERITED wealth he wields like a sword. We MUST alter our system by eliminating all the money and influence from reaching our representatives! Their currency should be OUR votes!
8
I want to vent, psychologically, by cleverly describing just how obnoxious and ridiculous our President is, and how embarrassing it is to be represented abroad by him. But others can do that very well.
I’d rather comment on how obvious it is to me that our President is mentally ill and unfit for public office. How eerie it is that, despite his daily proof of unfitness, he is nevertheless allowed to continue his antics, day after crazy day, doing untold damage to our country’s place in the world.
He is very easy to dislike: he is rude, boorish loud, arrogant, insulting, ignorant and unattractive, to boot. But he is ill. He is not, as my dad used to say, playing with a full deck. And yet, despite this, he is propped up by a Republican Party that apparently feels the mess he is making is all worth it for some reason.
I never knew there were so many Americans who care so little for our way of life that they are willing to stand by, and even enable, this type of wanton destruction. I just hope we can undo this damage in the near future.
It really is heartbreaking.
33
Yet more buffoonery from Trump. The sad thing about the NATO summit is that there are real needs to address, but that's all lost in the childish nonsense now. Since Trump has made it all about himself and pushed the narrative that he is bullying the other NATO leaders into spending more on defense, the other NATO leaders need to push back for their political survival at home. Unsurprisingly, nobody wants to be seen as Trump's lackey. The real issues end up taking a back seat to the most childish form of politics imaginable.
10
is he rogue, manchuria candidate who has hijacked the office and is doing the bidding of a foreign power? on many levels, it certainly seems so, but one has to wonder: If it had been China or Iran a completely unambiguous adversary, would he be allowed to continue this LUDICROUS tenure as President?
ANSWER: NO !
Somehow, he is fulfilling the agenda of some powerful wing of some government entity.
5
"he is fulfilling the agenda of some powerful wing of some government entity."
That entity is called Russia.
16
Trump constantly lives in Neverland , he may behave like a petulant child , but he's more like Captain Crook . Oue very stable genius has subverted every single meeting with our allies , has insulted just about every friendly head of state but lavishes praise on autocrats . Nothing new under the sun , he inserts himself in the middle of group photographs in all his self created glory . Trump goes on to Finland to meet with the low key " real stable genius " Vladimir Putin , more than likely Trump will give him more respect , and more concessions .
4
Could there possibly be a greater overseas embarrassment to the people of the United States of America than this man? Is he even capable of doing or saying anything in public, that isn't cringe-worthy? If it were a script, it would be hilarious. but it's not, of course; it's appalling. Even the stoicism of his wife screams, "OMG, can't he shut up?"
10
What are we supposed to get for all this military spending? A world of synchronous marchers emulating North Korea?
11
Military spending a total wast. We lose all wars. Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq. Syria, Yemen , Libya. And more. We are our own worst enemy.
11
Drive out Republicans in the Senate who support and enable a corrupt, would-be strongman and cover up Russian interference. Boycott peanut butter - seriously, to make a difference in the November mid-term election, see the link:
https://www.ft.com/content/15289aa0-8437-11e8-9199-c2a4754b5a0e
7
Why only peanut butter? Myself and many people I know in Europe are boycotting ALL American goods.
ps... just go to the neatest asian food market where peanut butter can be found made in Thailand.
When Putin meets Trump, Putin will advise that the wire transfer has been made.
5
No Western Nation depends more on Russia at this moment in time than Germany.
1
Question: If our NATO allies pay more for the costs of their security, will the U.S. cut its military budget? Answer: Absolutely not because the military-industrial complex and the legislators they own won't allow it. Just watch and see.
14
‘I Believe in NATO’
.... Manafort was on my team only for a very short period and I never paid Stormy Daniel any money; and that is being smart!
6
Like in the US, if Trump can lie and lie to the Americans 24/7, contradicting his own statements every two minutes and get away with it, he should know better when he is on the world stage. No foreign Leader or world citizen will allow that. The Leaders will summarily expose his lies, dismiss him and absolutely not enable this liar unlike his fawning lackeys and his impressionable base at home. Unhappy allies and a beaming Putin. What's wrong with this family picture?
6
This madman should not have been allowed to even land his plane in England. Banning him from visiting England would be quite appropriate given his banning of citizens from other countries to come to the United States.
10
Weak headline aside, it looks like this week the charade is coming apart. It's evident to the swing voters that Trump is making up stories about even his most dubious "accomplishments". Whether its DPRK, or any other "Missions Accomplished". Taken together with the financial damage he's doing in office, November can't come soon enough.
Oh, and this headline should have read "President Deceives Country About NATO Readout".
3
It's one thing for a man to be a relentlessly self-aggrandizing delusional, thuggish, bloviating man-child whilst in this own company or maybe in the company of his family or whoever else he can con into standing the stench, but it's another thing entirely when such a man is standing in front of the entire world as the accepted emissary of the world's most powerful country and his fellow countrymen and women are somehow "all right with it all."
If your country and all of its clear-headed citizens are fine with this, God help you. But, come on, please, wake up someone down there and shove this classless embarrassment from his stolen perch.
Go "Trump baby," go!
8
The WH explanation for trump being ignored & standing there by himself with the zoned out look is that he was watching the fly over. Funny none of the other leaders seem to have noticed the NATO flyover. They all continued to visit & talk with each other & around him. Was there really a flyover at that moment of the photo op? Oh how sad.
5
I've turned my back on Trump's cringeworthy speeches from his never ending campaign tours. I just can't listen to his sarcastic voice repeating lies and moronic statements with a half-smile. Lately, I have been even more saddened and angered when he spews venom at Mexico, Canada, and our NATO allies. So, I'm reading the newspaper instead, just so I don't have to hear him speak. So ashamed that he is the president. Ashamed every day. Vote him out!!
6
Trump knows he does not belong so he plays the bully. Antagonism is a good counteroffensive when you are incompetent like Trump. He is not an equal to Macron or Merkel or Obama so playing a false outrage is the only way he can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world leaders. And his followers feel the same way. Trump is their punching fist to a world that is changing too fast for them.
6
He believes in NATO until he doesn't and then believes in NATO again, until he doesn't. No wonder he's been married so many times.
6
Any headline that begins with "Trump" and is followed with a verb such as "reaffirms," "says," "insisted" (to cite a few recent examples) needs to be changed to "Trump lies about..."
16
Trump is dangerous. His politics border on the pathological.
14
Anyone who claims to be a genius in a press conference is surely not. Anyone who claims to be a "stable genius", well, you can figure that out for yourselves.
If he had indicated that he is a narcissistic, uneducated, unteachable, sociopathic intellectual cripple, then, for once, he would be demonstrating some self-awareness.
13
Dear NATO Friends,
A great majority of Americans are mortified by the actions and words of the current "president" of the US, and by the fact that he has succeeded in fooling (a minority of) Americans with his lies.
Please do not abandon us, we are with you.
13
So the Bundeswehr gets more tanks, what could possibly be wrong there?
The clown is being protested he like the clowns who voted a Russian banker who supported Putin head the FBI. These fools are selling out our country to the Putin lovers like this clown who is running our country. At least the Brits are demonstrating so where is our citizens why aren't they out protesting this clown and the clowns that are in his administration. The British know that this person is a failure. He will probably bash his European neighbors again in time we will not have many friends in Europe our only allies.
1
"There was no animosity in private meetings," says President Trump. "I believe in NATO," he said in a second statement.
These are the statements coming from a man who has set records on the number of times he has lied while in office. So why should we believe what he says now when he has lied and lied and lied SO MANY TIMES in the past? I have no confidence in our POTUS and next to zero confidence in Congress. This is the worst administration and Congress in the history of American government. I cannot wait for Election Day - these LOSERS are toast!
2
Expect the worse. He delivers it.
9
Out of respect for the Great Leader, he should henceforth be known as “His Very Stable Genius Donald Trump”.
5
Since we spend so much on defense how did a Russians agent sneak into the White House.
4
How embarrasing for the British and the Queen to have to receive this unwelcome visitor.
10
how long until we realize that this man is ruining our country????
9
My condolences to our British cousins who have to keep calm and carry on entertaining this wretch.
When it all gets to be too much, I suggest focusing on Melania's dress.
9
Silly protesters, Trump is basking in the attention.
4
And his stain is on everyone that supports him.
6
The party's over..so is the free lunch..and lets see President Trump says Germany buys 70% of their energy from Russia?..Why?
1
@Jack, to answer your question why— the answer (or fact) is: GERMANY DOESN’T GET 70% OF ITS ENERGY FROM RUSSIA. Trump’s lying...again. Germany, unlike this country, believes climate change is real. So they’ve done what our governing party won’t allow; they’ve diversified their energy sector. In addition to natural gas, they also have a significant amount (more than what they get from natural gas btw) of renewable energy. Actually, the gas they buy from Russia accounts for 9% of their energy needs. 9%. As usual, Trump just flings whatever number he wants around. Watch, in a few days it’ll be 90%. This from a man who seems indebted to Vlad. He seems to have no problem attacking our allies, especially if their women, but can’t say anything negative about Putin. How anyone can’t see there’s something odd there is beyond me. But then Jack, if you’re proud to have a President who lies whenever he opens his mouth, happy trails.
8
UK Govt. on the verge of collapse? Who told you that, Nigel Farage?
5
I can just see with Trump meeting Putin that Putin will say that Trump should see St. Petersburg. Trump will then invite him to fly on AF1 there and let Putin take him on a tour of the Hermitage and Katherine's palace and fly home a day late.
Peter Strzok is a patriot. Trump is not.
15
It is absolutely impossible to believe as truth anything that emanates from this President's mouth. Impossible! We have seen the multitude of lies pile up day after day. The statistics he pulls from thin air. Just recently this megalomaniac took credit for an executive order reuniting the Hispanic immigrants with their children. As though the separation of those children from their parents was ordered by Obama. So any message from the NATO conference, his meeting with Theresa May, or his closed door secret meeting with Putin is a message not worth paying any attention to.
4
Earth to Trump: Your circle of allies is rapidly shrinking. Soon you and Putin will be singing "You and Me Against the World"...
6
These are NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's prepared comments at his conclusion of the summit. I would certainly encourage anyone who would like to keep an informed opinion to read it.
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_156738.htm
1
Please, dear Americans, can you please, please, please build that wall. And make sure, that Trump is staying within the wall.
This guy is a disgrace to all human values. We Germans know from our history, what one mentally sick guy is able to do. Please, read some history books and make sure that you get rid of this dangerous guy before it is too late. Otherwise the American people will suffer most - and unfortunately many other nations too.
18
Given that even Trump's supporters see him as a lunatic narcissist and flagrant liar--they just approve, being jealous that he's weaseled so much more out of the world, or figure who cares, he's smacking people I hate around--it's pretty funny to see folks complaining that the Times should've said that he was mostly lying a lot more clearly.
Time to get over that shock, folks.
What's much less funny is that Trump's doing to NATO what he's doing to the PPACA and more generally the Constitution--he can't just throw them out, so he's just having the assorted little creeps who work for him chip away at the roots.
It'd actually make sense if he were Putin's paid agent; more likely, he's just the Bug from "Men in Black," and thrives on chaos and decay. THAT'S frightening, especially since he's clearly convinced himself that he's a genius.
3
NATO performance was Trump's Baghdad Bob fest....
3
trump is a huckster out trying to sell US weapons and gas to the world. Just what the world needs more weapons and bombs with America selling them to the world. Usually we sell to both sides in a conflict....After we have armed ourselves to the gills with a bloated military at the expense of US health care, education, the environment etc.....trump adds to the sadness of the world!
5
This mentally unstable, malevolent, toxic fomenter of discord and hatred should never have been permitted to the UK. Great harm has been done to both of our nations by ignorant, abhorrent people. They were on the wrong side of history in the 1930s, and they are on the wrong side of history now.
5
Trump is like the drunk neighbor who keeps ruining your summer picnic...he should just stay home.
9
Americans elected a clown. The reflection is upon them.
12
"The U.S. Embassy has warned Americans in London to “keep a low profile” from Thursday until Saturday."
The real American patriots will confront this fascist maniac at every turn, in every country in which his foot lands. Americans should fly the flag and protest along with all their British friends.
9
Euro-lefties are unanimous in their hatred of Trump.
So?
3
Well for starters when you combine that with all of the other people in the world who hate Trump, he is quite possibly the most reviled being in all of human history.
9
Have been traveling recently and no one outside of the US likes Trump- Australians, Canadians, English or European. These are our allies. You need to get out more.
4
The British people's reaction is a perfect reflection of the danger this ignorant, unhinged con man poses not just to the US, but to the planet.
10
The wrecking ball moves on...
7
I hearby demand the resignation of this unhinged U.S. president be on my desk by tomorrow morning. Pacific standard time. Thank you.
6
I cannot be there with you in England to protest this grotesque Grifter & Liar but I am with you in spirit. Be safe.
15
Military Spending? What? There will be nothing left to protect once Climate Change Annihilates Everything. So Yeah spend money-waste it-waste everything BTW-- Love the "El Tanto Naranjo" blimp.
1
The man is clearly a buffoon and the U K knows it. Let's hope our electorate does too.
7
So richly deserved. Could we ever had imagined that England would protest an American president? I am glad they are :BRING IT. Not that that idiot will actually get it.
12
This Brit visit is a sideshow. We're waiting to see how much he will grovel in gratitude before the Russian Dictator who handed him the election with the help of the Cambridge Analytica moles and the Face(sic)book liars, with a little help from their friends in the KGB USA branch. Come on, Mr. Mueller, we need you to fill out those 100 blank subpoenas ASAP.
15
Trump is a war drummer. He never experienced war so it is an easy Programm for him. Brains not needed.
6
The British are protesting Trump with reference to their own country; it's hard to see Trump and not see the drivers of the rolling injury to Britain that is the Brexit decision. Brexit has all the Trumpian aspects: overpromising and underperforming, thinly veiled appeals to xenophobia and racism, the most braindead nationalism, Russian interference, and a nation unable to extricate itself from what anyone would in honesty admit was a stupid, stupid mistake.
11
Why does Trump have to be this vulgar, so undiplomatic, trying to find even minute failings to blast allies...while praising despot Putin? Something is really wrong with this picture, a bull in the china shop, arrogant to no measure. And so ignorant. Shameful beyond measure. Putin is applauding already.
14
Why? I suggest reading the book The Death of Democracy, about the destruction of the Weimar Republic and Hitler's ascendancy.
4
Trump might be hiding from protesters in London but the Angry Baby Trump blimp is going on a world tour. Perhaps in front of Trump Tower like those giant inflatable rats?
17
So he thinks he's liked in the UK. Ha! He's more delusional than we thought. No doubt he'll let us know how much the queen likes him too!
7
Do Americans understand the insult hurled at the Moron-in-Chief??
While the loathsome Trump might have had a ten minute meeting with Elizabeth II, every president who has visited the UK since 1945 has been honoured with a state dinner at Windsor Castle with the Queen and the hoi polloi of the UK.
It is obvious the Queen refused to have anything to do with Trump after her 10 minute audience. No visit to Windsor. No state dinner.
Trump was shuttled off to the home (Blenheim Palace) of a minor duke and one band regiment played a few tunes to get the Trump ego engaged.
Will he ever realized he has been insulted and demeaned by the Queen or will he keep whistling the band tunes?
Vive la Reine.
18
NYT, please provide photo and video of the Trump Baby balloon when it takes to the air.
14
Trump has been called both unstable and a moron by people who should know.
“I am a very stable genius.”
Irrefutable proof that they are correct on both counts.
9
Let the protests begin.
8
In Trumplandia facts do not matter. The Brits abhor Dear Leader - he is an affront to all civilized people.
I am hoping that his stay in the UK is miserable.
8
"Hitler Lite" is an appropriate term for Trump. Attack the press;pick a minority to abuse;promote hate;Trump has it all. Congrats to the Brits for Ridiculing Trump. Trump has an ego as big as the Moon; but fragile as an egg. America should follow suit and mock; ridicule and belittle Trump like the Brits. Baby Trump balloon is going on World Tour next; bring it to DC ; Mar A Lago; NJ golf course please. Ray Sipe PS Trump spends more time golfing and watching FOX "news" than "working" as president
10
The clown president better not lie on Queen Elizabeth who protected her people during World War Two and was a hero to all who fought in World War Two, At 92 she is gracious and putting a classy face forward to meet with a liar,cheat who doesn't deserve to be in the White House.
Midterms are coming I don't think anyone will make that mistake again, by not voting or voting for a TV star. We have seen the horrors of the underworld and none of us want to be sucked into it.
The English people are doing the right thing fight back and let him know that like the devil he is not welcome in their house. Encourage Trump to resign like Boris did, no one wants losers calling the shots.
11
I'm afraid Trump is going around the bend. He has become delusional. He could show up naked with a pink feather boa, wearing gold glitter stilettos. an orange Farrah Fawcett wig, whistling Deep in the Heart of Texas, and the republicans would blame the democrats. This may be too far out, but something in him is going to break soon. He’s way too proud of himself to contain it. He has destroyed the Trump family name. I mean like how many Hitlers do you know?
9
Trump is a complete and total disaster! The only thing he can remotely be credited for is establishing the fact that many people are not doing well and want things to improve for themselves- everyone else be damned. Nice base right? Trump is an opioid for some - a fake pain killer where the supposed cure is at least 1000 times worse than the disease it purports to cure. For others Trump is a blight, a scourge, a menace, a plague, cruel and unusual. His enablers are drinking the Kool-aid at great peril. Resist, speak out, but most of all VOTE!!!
7
Give ‘me hell, Brits!
Any chance you’ll take us back?
11
Similarities between Winston Churchill and President Trump: One, alas, is dead. The other won't be dead soon enough. (I oppose any violence against Trump.)
9
President Pathological, making America very lonesome again. We have Putin. Who else?
12
Facts continue to be a distant cousin to DJT tweets and badgering. Why the first focus of reporting is what DJT says when what is said is clearly fiction remains a mystery. A modest suggestion for an alternative template; Cite the facts first then the fiction of DJT and conclude with comparison of facts and DJT. The reports may well have fewer words and simultaneously be more informative.
12
A part of Trump unspoken agenda at NATO is to drive US arm sales, coming off a globe leading and record 2017 when $76 billion in sales were booked. Sales take place under the Arms Export Control Act that governs sales and subsidies from the US, and many of the contracts are subsidized by US taxpayers up to 95%. The US is the global leader in arms sales and Trump's Defense Department is expanding that market.
36
Leaving NATO is an unthinkable option and even Chump wouldn't undertake such a thing. I do agree with his assessment that America pays a disproportionate share in cash, boots and military weaponry. What I'd like to see is rationalizing the ordinance used and count that at Fair Market Value in lieu of cash support. Same for wages and deployment of boots on the ground.
It's a lot like paying the ex-wife alimony so she can lead a lavish lifestyle with the other guy.
Love the protesters in London.
9
"His assessment." I take it you think this guy actually sat down, learned the history, went through the books, consulted experts, listened to briefings, and carefully thought through the issues before he shot his mouth off.
Okay, sure. Sure he did.
2
It's proportionate by the very nature of how it's calculated.
He would get a shock with 'the boots on the ground' analysis in terms of the German contribution. Since he does only topline due to limited brain power, his view is flawed. At 22%, the US is one of a number of stakeholders. Unravelling the European element is trickier when the US has such expansionist interests in the Middle East and Africa, where we are all called to support.
Remember also the European expenditure on asylum seekers and refugees escaping conflict. This is where an alliance in it's truest sense should work; acknowledging the additional pressures caused from the fallout of our joint military escapades. Thanks to Russia, Europe has borne the brunt. We must welcome a traumatised people no matter what Trump and far right groups seem to think. That help costs. It is money well spent.
Maybe we should all reduce military spending to equal things out. There is nothing magical about 2% of GDP. Why not 1%.
42
How much do you think the US will spend on defence if the US really pull out of NATO? Does anybody really believe it would be any less than the 3.6% GDP that it currently is?
The amount you think it would lower by represents how much you think NATO participation influence US defence spending. There is a fixation on being a martial state - guns proliferations domestically, selling armaments internationally, pride and arrogance over having the largest army, navy, and airforce - that is independent of NATO.
6
Interesting that Trump stood with Erdogan--another autocratic individual who has sought to repress the rights of his citizens--instead of the other NATO leaders. That, his meeting with Putin, his praise of Duterte--all are indicative of our president's priorities as he seeks to align himself with leaders similar to himself.
38
And no tirade about Turkey buying billions and billions worth of arms from Russia!
2
About a year ago Trump asserted there were 'no go' zones in London. Now he's discovering that the whole city is a no go zone for him.
105
It would be nice to “talk politics” and discuss our president’s position on incredibly serious matters facing not only the US, but also the entire planet. Unfortunately, given that we have someone who has no interest in truly governing - everything he’s done (or hasn’t done) underscores that fact. This all just a put on that the American people allowed to happen. We all know (including real Republicans, not Trump’s uninformed, rabid base) the emperor has no clothes. Putin and his ilk are sitting back, laughing hysterically at the success of their Machiavellian plan.
Trump (and therefore the American people) was an easy mark.
21
"• Mr. Trump said on Thursday that NATO allies had agreed to his demand for a significant increase in military spending. But he offered no specifics, and leaders of some other NATO nations rejected the claim".
So what's new? Trump lied about the results of his private meetings with the heads of states. Oh, remember that N.Korea no longer poses a nuclear threat to the US as per Trump. Also, the only concrete concession that Trump received from Kim was that remains of US service men would be returned to the US. Does it surprise anyone that this promise was broken and that the N. Koreans did not even show up for the meeting to discuss it.
Rule of thumb : if Trump says it, the opposite is true.
16
There are so many things wrong with this scenario, it's making my head spin. In general, I have to ask, what is his end game? Is he intentionally trying to divide and conquer? Real estate is not diplomacy. These alliances we have had for almost 70 years were carefully constructed and have generally served us very well. Barging into a meeting and making sure that all of your participants are publicly humiliated and berated is not a winning strategy. Criticizing how our allies govern their own countries is divisive and insulting. I wonder if he is trying to stoke extremist groups in countries like the UK or Germany.
Resentment is building all over the world towards this dangerous oaf. I think that one of the only reasons these heads of state did not confront him is that they are waiting like the rest of us for the November election to see if this is a passing phenomena. If the Democrats don't make decisive wins in November, I believe you will see a world more willing to put him, and the US in general, in our place. And honestly, I wouldn't blame them one bit.
26
In the best case scenario, Trump is badgering NATO because he attacked NATO in his campaign rhetoric, and he wants to show his base that he is sticking to his guns. In the worst case scenario, Trump is trying to undermine NATO and promote Russia because he is an agent of Putin. I suspect both are true.
37
Donald Trump makes proclamations as if he was in a reality TV programme, akin to Gordon Ramsay revamping a restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen in under a week. We are supposed to marvel at how well Trump/Ramsay turns things over, as if big successes can be achieved in a day. The end result is that 76% of Ramsay’s interventions fail eventually.
NK’s nuclear threat is over? Nothing has changed, and there is evidence of the nuclear programme being active.
“I think NATO is much stronger now than it was two days ago.” Wow.
21
During one of the debates during the campaign, Mrs. Clinton called Mr. Trump Putin’s Puppet. As I look at the events that have unfolded since Mr. Trump has been sworn in, I believe that Mrs. Clinton had information that the public was unaware of. There has to be a lot going on behind the scenes that isn’t public knowledge for our President’s behavior to continue without comment from the majority of the Republican Party and his Evangelical base. Yes, everyone should pay their fair share, but there are diplomatic ways to articulate that point. What does Putin’s puppet mean?
30
Read The Plot to Hack America: How Putins Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election
2
You really do not know what it means, or are you being rhetorical?
Trump has been indebted to Putin for years. He has not received a loan from any American bank in years. ( a terrible risk, with all his bankruptcies and law suits) Even Don Jr. has proudly said as much in an interview.
In turn for Putin's financial largesse, Trump has to do his bidding. Remember, it was Trump who said the elections were rigged, yet was Clinton's emails that were exposed to Trump's advantage.
It has since been proved that the Russians did interfere with US elections to Trump's advantage. The question now is how much Trump was involved in this process, and by his daily disapproval of the Mueller probe, it would appear to be a great deal.
Clinton has not been the only person to call Trump Putin's puppet. Plenty of people have used it. And BTW Putin is most likely blackmailing Trump. This is man with too many secrets. Trump is a fraud being handled by a master manipulator.
4
Criticism of the President stops at the water's edge. We all need to support our President while he's out of the country.
Calling all patriots....
6
The president shields himself from criticism all the time. He blocks critical Twitter followers, he won't hold a traditional press conference to answer critical questions and he only shows up in public places/rallies where people adore and cheer him.
This is the first time in a long time he has had to face protesters. He needs to deal with it.
82
Too funny
9
no we do not.
9
He's a legend in his own mind...to other world leaders he seems simply to be just out of his mind. His legions will follow him, no matter where he goes or how many lies he tells or how badly he treats them. He's a con man, nothing more. I honestly don't know why we bother to repeat what he says since he rarely even flirts with the truth. The only thing that happened at these meetings was that he insulted his hosts--a regular feature of his visits anywhere--got nothing from them and claimed success. Same old same old.
34
I see our beloved and darling president referred to himself as a “stable genius” again. One stable genius is bad enough; what worries me most is all those stable genius voters in America who lap up his every word!
22
And within 24 hours he will say the exact opposite.
9
Domestically, Trump demands, and sometimes gets, he unreasonable but manufacturing a very unpleasant reality (e.g., deportation of Dreamers) and then negotiating to mitigate it.
As it is widely acknowledged that the US pays more than its share of NATO, why not simply announce plans and timetables for reductions of US contributions to bring our spending in-line.
Or, since such plans may be beyond the competence of this administration, at least announce a plan to develop such a plan. Europe is filled with first world countries with adult leaders capable of recognizing their own self-interest.
3
Total world military expenditure rose to $1686 billion in 2016, an increase of 0.4% in real terms from 2015, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
The United States remains the country with the highest annual military expenditure in the world. US military spending grew by 1.7%. Military expenditure by China increased by 5.4%, a much lower rate of growth than previous years. Russia increased its spending by 5.9%, Saudi Arabia fell by 30% in 2016 to $63.7 billion, despite its continued involvement in regional wars. India’s military expenditure grew by 8.5% making it the fifth largest spender.
Military expenditure in Western Europe rose for the second consecutive year and was up by 2.6% in 2016. There were spending increases in all but three countries in Western Europe. Italy recorded the most notable increase, 11% between 2015 and 2016.
Of these, only the US and Italy are NATO member countries. Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and India are not in NATO.
Oil prices, Mr. Trump.
"'Falling oil revenue and associated economic problems attached to the oil-price shock has forced many oil-exporting countries to reduce military spending,’ said Dr Nan Tian, Researcher with the SIPRI AMEX programme. ‘For example, between 2015 and 2016 Saudi Arabia had the biggest absolute decrease in spending of $25.8 billion.’"
See, it's complicated...
6
Yep, and we -- the U.S. under Trump is essentially supporting Saudi Arabia militarily and their incursion; blockaging Qatar and abetting Saudi's bombing of Yemen.
9
Much like the fake accomplishments he rendered over a couple of hours with Kim, Trump's "accomplishments" are a lot like his bogus TIME magazine "Man of the Year" covers he had all his properties proudly display.
In the corridors of Presidential history, there will be walls filled with document after document memorializing actual accomplishments by our legally elected presidents.
This fraud, if he's lucky, will have a small closet at the end of all the other halls with a pile of Big Mac wrappers and empty KFC buckets.
That his wide-eyed supporters can't see this man for the liar and buffoon he is is beyond me. And the majority of Americans who voted against him and his running mate, Putin.
12
Trump doesn’t care that he is lying about all this and looks stupid. The only people he cares about are his fawning minions. That is his audience and he knows he can say anything to them. He could shoot someone on fifth avenue and they would still follow him. They will follow him blindly off a cliff.
It’s a cult. And while Trump’s supporters are in a minority in this country, they are still a rather large portion. It is possible that as many as 25% of the USA population support Trump. That is scary. If that is true, 25% of the USA belongs to a crazy cult where they believe patently false things simply because Trump said them. This makes us a very weak country indeed.
31
Nobody else on this planet creates more wastage of time than the idiot I am writing about because there's no demand for polymaths in the US.
16
...waste of time, lives, money, opportunity, goodwill...and on it goes.
15
What's the exact opposite of a polymath? Donald Trump.
2
It is a good thing we had an honest French President to tell us the truth. We learned our U.S. president lied again, and this time to the whole world
44
The liar-in-chief benefits from the past leadership, the hard and soft power, of the US and he acts as if the opposite is true! This shameless egomaniac is an embarrassment to the country.
The press, on the other hand, seems still beguiled by his meaningless "statements". What the heck does it mean he said he "believes in NATO", or not? He has made "statements" that are all over the map so he is always right and always wrong, all at the same time.
What I suspect, however, is this egomaniac is a Putin puppet. His proclamation today on NATO merely lays the ground work for some future tomorrow to withdraw and to dismantle NATO for Putin's benefit.
Why is it that none of the main stream press has ever raised the question "is this constant liar is a Russian puppet" by looking at the question "who benefits" from any and all of his so-called "policies"?
24
Isn't it amazing that the world has to babysit our petulant president?
Are you proud of yourselves Republicans for putting the USA in such a position internationally?
50
The Left media sycophants are trying to imply something that aint there... The fact is Trump was right to call Germany double dealing... If they are afraid and think that Russia is aggressor they need to stop mega project that would put billions of $ into Putin's pockets and we'all know where those billions are gonna be applied... and then in the same breath they hope that the US will up our presence in Europe to enhance their protection?... They're trying to establish a quick reaction force that will mobilize in 30 days... Is that a joke? 30 DAYS!
Putin is ROFL hearing that... in 30days... he'd have his troops in Berlin if not Paris without the US armor and infantry as well as spec forces and airborne... not to mention airforce... What Merkel's gonna send... Germany has maybe 400-500 tanks... vs Russians in thousands... Germany had drill where soldiers had to use wood sticks to imitate light arms... not enough rifles not to mention ammo... Laughing stock of an "army"...
8
None of these retweets of Infowars bizarrities are nearly as stomp-down funny as Trump's accusation that anybody on the planet is guilty of "double-dealing."
2
Double dealing? What does that say about the US then...we purchase oil from Middle East (particularly Saudi Arabia) who's citizens attacked us on 9/11, who bribe politicians to sell $billions in arms sales, who's wahabi schools promote terroristic fundamentalism, who trump spent several days scmoozing with and conspiring against Qatar where one of our biggest military base is located... Shall I go on?
4
Laugh away at the German army, but they have the second largest number of soldiers helping us in NATO. At least they do not cozy up to the Russians like your messiah does. Why is he so hot for Putin or is he being blackmailed by Putin to cooperate or the dirty truth will be revealed?
3
Trump keeps scuttling his credibility by lying about his meetings with NATO. He says one thing for his crowd and the participants deny his statements. It is mind boggling the way he thinks and acts. He may actually believe he is in a different universe. I am not surprised that the Europeans are completely discounting everything he says as is the rest of the world. They know Trump is completely untrustworthy. Congress accepts this fool? If I could, I would erase every member in the House/Senate to start from scratch. I have never had so little regard for our elected Congressional members. I talk to Trump voters on a regular basis. As a group, they are sadly blase’ of Trump’s shortcomings. They believe he has the powers that be in America on the run.
4
Trump is either a liar or he is delusional. Maybe both. We've seen this before when he makes statements, then says just the opposite, or makes statements that are at odds with what observers saw and heard. It makes me wonder if maybe he really believes the things he says, such as that he convinced NATO to pay more when that is not what happened, according to others who were there (and are more trustworthy). He certainly seems to believe that Putin is going to be his best buddy and will "be nice and fair" to him. How delusional is that?
6
SOP: Create or exaggerate a problem, and then invent a phony solution to the phony or exaggerated problem. Never mind the collateral damage; it's all in producing a great self-serving adulatory show.
Who could have imagined?
If the non-voters don't vote (all of these complicit BUMS out) in the 2018 midterms, dictatorship here we come.
5
Does our President know the difference between fantasy and reality? Is he capable of knowing the difference?
9
If you start your article quoting Trump "strongly recommitted" to NATO, you mislead your readers about the real intentions of this schizophrenic serial liar. Do not bury down in the story the reality that nothing he says can be relied on. Always lead with the truth so that the public can fully compehend this real and present danger to our country.
"Mr. Trump strongly recommitted American support for NATO, a bedrock of Western security policy for generations, on Thursday, comments that at least temporarily calmed fears that he might move toward dismantling the alliance.
“The United States commitment to NATO is very strong, remains very strong,” he said at a news conference in Brussels. “I believe in NATO.”"
3
Trump wrote the chapter on extortion in “How To Make Friends and Influence People.”
3
Tell me what is going on. I have watched Trump since the beginning of his "campaign." He is always: pathologically narcissistic, incoherent, ill-informed, defensive, and childishly arrogant. Yet, no one in any position of power does anything to check him. No one! This to me proves that the entirety of the world's political process is run by corporate oligarchs. As long as they get what they want, everything just keeps going. No one can do anything. No one will. Trump will probably be "elected" to a second term. And the same editorials will keep being printed and nothing will change.
12
I certainly hope not, but then we have been advised that Putin could interfere in our midterm elections. Put it this way, it's not too hard to believe Putin has some well placed Republicans already in our government helping him.
He means "I believe in NATO today". Tomorrow, who knows. This man changes his mind like the weather.
9
Who cares what Trump says? He'll just contradict himself, change his mind and/or lie about it. He is not trustworthy, so why bother reporting what he says? Vote the GOP out in November--your life depends on it.
11
‘I Believe in NATO’: Trump Affirms Support for Alliance.
Well, considering that he also believes that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, that humans don't cause global warming and that the Mueller investigation is a witch hunt, this isn't much of an endorsement.
11
The US has never wanted strong domestic European defence and has always actively worked against it, despite hypocritical domestic US propaganda to the contrary . It is NATO's reason reason for being and NATO has literally been the excuse used to sabotage European defence.
If you have a grasp of NATO's history then perhaps you also have a grasp of the US's role in killing every European defence cooperation initiative ever attempted, in order to defend American arms manufacturers' markets from European competition and ensure allies were on a short leash to ask how high when the US President yelled jump.
Basically hypocritical backstabbing whiners just like trump, going back a long ways, seen from this side of the pond. That's why France kicked the US back across the pond more than 50 years ago, and explains why it remains the strongest and most capable military in Europe.
Regards.
7
I mean, come on, the man is certifiable. He's not fit to run a bodega in Washington Heights much less the driver's seat in Washington DC.
11
The bodega owner has more sense than him believe me.
2
Trump most likely signed the declaration in protest, much as he made statements against neo-nazi protesters in Charlotte. However in Charlotte he back-tracked and considering Trump's history on NATO he will probably back-track here as well. Anyone who has followed Trump knows he is against military alliances and has a huge lack of appreciation of the stability and strength NATO brings.
5
Trump gets everything messed up. He gets briefed ... Tries to repeat it... forgets.. then starts making the stuff up. Like "60 to 70% of Germany's energy... the U.S. pays 80% of the NATO bill.. He's like sending the drunk uncle on a diplomatic mission. Also, the U.S. pays because it's in the economic and military interest of the U.S. --Period
11
Trump has to claim victory by lying or by hook or by crook. He is a New York City bully boy. He is loud mouth and truth is not important to him. He has been a Real Estate businessman and at his age he can not learn anything new. Decency and civility are unknown to him. We need NATO more than any other member country. We start and are involved in war with so many countries. We have military bases at least 45 countries. The NATO member countries are sending soldiers and resources in Afghanistan and Iraq for years. Other countries are not engaged in wars perpetually like us.
8
Trump is simply delusional. He believes the emperor has no clothes, and that whatever he says is either a fact, or when it is outrageous, 'a joke'. When the Congress has to pass resolutions stating that the American People do not agree with the presidents statements, one would think that impeachment under the 25th Amendment would be a no-brainer. He flips and flops more than a dead leaf in a stiff breeze, all the while, we are fulfilling the lifelong dream of Putin, who has successfully divided the American people amongst themselves, crippled the effectiveness of our government and weakened America's relationship with our allies. Trump may be the most effective president in history, but for all the wrong reasons.
15
The 25th amendment is cabinet-initiated. Ordinary impeachment begins in Congress, which appears to have assumed the fetal position, perhaps to demonstrate it is better to be unborn than to endure this farce.
2
Re: “The former chancellor of Germany is the head of the pipeline company that’s supplying the gas,” Mr. Trump said, referring to Gerhard Schröder, who leads the Nord Stream 2 project. “
True but outdated. Schroeder was appointed an independent director on the board of Rosneft, Russia's largest oil company in August 2017
BUT THERE IS MORE TO IT
"At Putin’s inauguration, former German chancellor Schröder got a front-row spot.
"— Russian President Vladimir Putin shook hands with just three people in the audience after he took the oath of office on Monday. They were the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill; Putin’s longtime prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev; and former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/05/07/at-putins-i...
Note : shook hand with just 3 men - one Schroeder
1
Trump could not dismantal a 70 year old alliance (military/economic) without the approval of the US Government, and the American people. NATO can no longer trust US commitment to support them in a time of war, and must cut America out of the equation. The EUs military and nuclear deterrent would stand up to any military threats. Let Trump take his ball and go home.
9
When a perpetual liar and grifter is POTUS, all statements , utterances, tweets or proclamations redound to an unstable and manifestly unfit man. That he reverses stances from one day to the next , clearly indicate IMO that nothing he declares is tethered to reality. Add the loss of vocabulary, ability to retain numerical facts or the identity of people he has been introduced to, are all indicators of nuerologic deficit - a condition consistent with his family history of Alzheimer's.
7
At the NATO breakfast, Trump was all performance bluster & repetitive rant in front of the world press, while later in one-to-one meetings with those same targeted leaders, he was unable to present those same confrontations, in fact portraying a diminished self entirely. According to some reports of the breakfast, the 3 NATO leaders who responded then to his tirade was similar as to how 3 psychiatrists manage an out of control adolescent.
As for the misleading military defense spending figures Trump uses to compare the US military expenditure against other countries (3.5% of GDP), NATO needs to ask how much the US actually puts into the NATO pot. When US military spending in the Middle East & Asia is added, it turns out that the US, in fact, spends less than 2% of its GDP on NATO.
And finally, by slamming Merkle, Trump is once again projecting, using her to deflect attention from his own reliance on & complicity in Putin's game.
9
I believe in dictatorships, but that does not mean I support them. Trump's support of NATO in his "I believe in NATO" should fool no one.
We see here another attempt by President Trump to walk back his bombast. Likely some of the "adults" in his administration, or possibly some senators, gave him an earful yesterday after his diatribe that undermined NATO.
Look, President Trump ran on a platform that condemned international organizations like NATO. His base gorges itself on the steady diet of red meat that simplistically blames the nation's apparent ills on foreigners, whether they are immigrants or in international organizations. It should come as little surprise that he is attacking them while in office. Further, and equally unsurprising, Trump is making little attempt to broaden his winning electoral coalition by appealing to anyone but his most ardent, nationalistic supporters. The President is applying the cynical calculus that when given a binary choice in the 2020 election, "conservatives" will support him, not some Bernie Sanders-type liberal. Trump is likely correct.
But the damage done by this reckless manipulation of our polarized electorate is going to have dramatic effects. Whenever Trump leaves office, 2021 or 2025, the liberal world order, established in the wake of World War II, is likely going to be in taters or nonexistent. A reset, engineered either by a Democrat or a more mainstream conservative, is going to be difficult to orchestrate.
1
The most software-driven animal on Earth can't even figure out rationally how to reprogram itself for survival.
1
About 25% of Americans absolutely believe everything Trump says, regardless of real information to the contrary. They either lack the education or the comprehension to be discerning, to seek out real information, to self-correct. No agenda for most of them; it's just how it is.
Then there's the small percentage of Americans who have an agenda, are grounded in willful ignorance and small-mindedness, convinced of conspiracy-theorist stuff, "New World Order" and the "Deep State," and willing to blow up the entire country for their convictions. They could take in new information, but they refuse to. The Steve Bannon crowd.
Here's the thing - they are *always* going to vote. So it's time for *everyone* to vote. No excuses.
If you're not registered to vote, get registered. Where ever you are. Now. Make it a priority. Make sure your buddies register too. If you don't know who the candidates are, vote anyway.
10
Perhaps the NATO countries should insist that the U.S. spend 2% of its GDP on defense.
7
By now the Europeans must realize that Mr.Trump has a rich fantasy life.He thinks that he chastises members of NATO and suddenly they hand over lots of money.He thinks the British like him - they don't.Every word he says is a lie or provocation.I suspect he will find more hostility in Europe because there is no Republican Party to make excuses for him and try to blunt his sharp edges.This trip will not be a diplomatic triumph- it will be a controlled disaster!
9
Germany`s very powerful weekly "Der Spiegel" wrote, that Trump acts like a Godfather and Mafia Don, blackmailing and extorting protection money. This, they wrote, has nothing to do with relationships between partners and goverments, but facing undisguised threats from a mob leader.
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/donald-trump-beim-nato-gipfel-verh...
12
I don't know what Trump's arm crossing is all about. But it is so obvious when he speaks that he has no idea what he is talking about. He either can't or won't read, and probably has no clue about the specifics of NATO. So the best he can do is go in there and bluster, again. If we're lucky our friends will just decide we have a blowhard for chief & congress to boot.
If we're unlucky they will decide it's caused them too much damage and they will avoid us for a long time. Of course, our friend and bff Putin probably has bigger plans than our petulant child could ever understand.
7
He said on Wednesday that "Germany was “captive” to Russia because of its dependence on Russian gas....."
Seems that Trump is "captive" to Russia too. But why?
10
The entire spectacle yesterday was embarrassing and a clear picture of what an unqualified, unstable person Trump is; yet his supporters adore him, no matter what. Anyone who questions him is met with the worst kind of vitriol, ugliness and lies. These people are more indoctrinated than were the Moonies of the 1970s. It is a sad testament to how uneducated, uninformed and partisan some Americans are.
11
Did anyone else hear Trump slip in a red hot sales pitch on the greatness of American-made weapons during that press conference? You tell me that whole 2% brinkmanship isn't entirely linked to filling the koffers of the US defense industry.
8
Did he really utter that "stable genius" nonsense again?
"No puppet, no puppet, you're the puppet."
Clearly, that's exactly how a "stable genius" would speak, if there were such a thing.
The best we can hope for now is that he mercifully decides to keep his clothes on, even though we've moved well beyond "Emperors new clothes" territory with this charlatan.
9
"NATO Summit Live Updates: Trump Claims Victory on Military Spending"
An unbiased source would have said, "NATO Summit Live Updates: Trump won a Victory on Military Spending"
Are you and your readers now going to reconcile all this with the "Trump is Putin's slave" theory? I have little doubt you will manage since you long ago took a leave from rationality.
1
Well, Trump got the other NATO Members to agree to the spending level they agreed to years ago. Only a biased or ill informed source would claim that Trump won a victory.
11
Get s. copy of the 2014 NATO agreement with the 2% pledge and its goal date of 2024. Get a copy of the agreement Donald and all the NATO members signed yesterday. Compare the provisions of the two word for word. Make notes of all that Donald said he got changed by acting nasty. Finally get back to us and tell us how we owe him for convincing all the NATO members to change their contributions.... if you can prove they did.
2
Please stop repeating DJT's bold face lies. The entire US military budget is about $650 million - that's for everything... worldwide... NOT NATO. Best I can tell, Trump's 70-90% complaint is based on the fact that the USA spends 70-90 % more than the other member nations total military spending combined - yup $650 million/yr the largest military budget in the world, perhaps in the history of man. That is your country's choice. It's not your country's NATO commitment. Do you honestly believe your military spending will drop as a result of Western Europe becoming more militarized in American fashion? If NATO were to raise its spending to 4% of GDP, what is likely result of all that idle equipment and manpower - frightening actually.
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/11/628137185/fact-check-trumps-claims-on-nat...
6
To think that the military budget is under 1 billion is an extreme misunderstanding of the military.
6
Few countries can afford to spend 50% of its annual national budget on defense, like the US.
1
"...he won big concessions... but member nations disagreed..."
Yeah, sure he did. And the details will be forthcoming "...soon, like in the next several days...we'll see how it goes..."
LIe, lie, lie. It's what he does.
20
I don't actually think there is any lie he could tell that Republicans would call him out.
15
Trump "said on Wednesday that Germany was “captive” to Russia because of its dependence on Russian gas." Well, China is the major foreign holder of US Treasury securities. So, who is captive and to whom?
22
Trump is an artist of being too big to fail. He's not afraid of making US debt instruments worthless.
4
I had no idea we were so oppressed here in America. I had no idea we were being taken advantage of so bigly throughout the world. Thank god Trump is here to set my thinking straight. Just think how much better our lives will be when our 3% of the world’s population can consume even more than the 25% of the world’s resources that we consume today. So sick of being taken advantage of! It’s got me all worked up! And angry! Go Trump!
6
Sad to say but Trump is incompetent and devious too, a deadly combination. As Jeffrey Toobin noted in his New Yorker piece, he is the least dignified president this country has ever had. He will create a new axis of evil called US-Russia-North Korea.
13
This man, who has no friends, would like the United States also to have no friends.
7
What about Sean Hannity? Or Fox News?
How do you declare victory over your Allies? It may not be that our allies are "under spending on their militaries" It very well could be that we are over-spending on ours. The best defense against aggression is a strong economy and functional society that takes care of it's people. Draining your economy and short changing your people to maintain a military beyond your means is a recipe for disaster. Empty words and a meaningless "Victory" dance to impress your domestic base at the expense of your allies is dumb, crass and stupid. So it goes with our IIC.
10
I agree I don't see anyone else in NATO spending hundreds of billions on a useless unwinnable war in the Mid East.
4
Trump believes in.... playing to his audience and stroking his own ego. Not much else. Oh, and money, another way to stroke the ego.
3
@Lee Great comment. Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters stated, "We have a fool for a president, a malevolent fool." I applaud Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters for directly stating the facts.
6
But our military presence is paramount to protect "American interests" in foreign countries......McDonalds, Ford, Starbucks, Trump Hotels.....etc.
2
Yep. Every day the same headline: Trump Claims.
When will he settle down and get something (positive) done?
2
Isn't it interesting that when Mr. Trump gets outside of the bubble of yes men and the do-nothing Congress which has abdicated its role as a check on the executive branch, he gets completely humiliated almost every time? Make no mistake about it, he just lied (which is of course nothing new), and Mr. Macron and the italian dude called him out.
He is such an embarrassment.
7
The title of this article should have read: "I believe in NATO" - Trump lies.
1
Trump Believes in NATO.
So what?
None of us should believe in NATO.
The streets of England filled with passion, resistance, joy and rage doesn't believe in NATO. The Times plays its part in positing a world of false choices.
To those protesting: YES! NO TO FALSE CHOICES. Love you all.
1
A traitor and delusional, Trump is the most widely despised and scorned president in our history. A remarkable achievement accomplished without having shepherded the nation through a single genuine crisis and having flubbed only one genuine emergency: the double hurricane hit on Puerto Rico.
9
Trump Believes in NATO.
So waht?
None of is should believe in NATO.
The streets of England filled with passion, resistance, joy and rage doesn't believe in NATO. The Times plays its part in positing a world of false choices.
To those protesting: YES! NO TO FALSE CHOICES. Love you all.
1
@Lee Great comment and thanks for the link. Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters stated, "We have a fool for a president, a malevolent fool." Just the facts, nothing less. What frightens me is what that says about millions of people who believe that malevolent fool?
12
They believe they'll have the planet to themselves after God Raptures up all the unfaithful.
6
Trump will always claim he did X, got Y, made Z happen. No matter how untrue it is, he simply can not stop feeding his base lies. Which is understandable how much they feed off of his lies. Like piglets at a sows teets.
Trump TV (aka;Fox News) will now praise him with their panegyric broadcasts.
7
Trump milks the tautology that he must be God because he gets away with everything, for all it is worth.
I'm not an expert on NATO, but I do know that it is a treaty. And a treaty is approved by the Senate as well as the President. If that is correct, isn't it accurate that a president cannot unilaterally withdraw from such a treaty without congressional approval? Isn't it also true that the treaty itself prescribes the methods by which changes to the treaty must be made? Isn't it also true that members of the military and various cabinets are sworn to protect the Constitution and therefore not bound to respect unconstitutional actions by a president (such as withdrawing from NATO without the advice and consent of the Senate)? The Senate has recently reaffirmed its support for NATO, so would probably not consent to such a withdrawal. Why are knowledgeable parties such as journalists not pointing out these things or explaining which aspects of NATO can be changed unilaterally by a) any one country and b) a president of the United States according to U.S. law.
12
Why? Because don't put it past Trump to dismiss it as "fake news."
When Donald gets back from his love in with Putin, Mitch is going to have to explain to Donald why the Senate voted 80 something to 11 in support of NATO. And that narcissistic back end of a horse claimed that he could have unilaterally backed out of NATO.? No es possible
In the last three years, the allies have increased their aggregate defense spending by almost $90 billion or $30 billion a year - the same amount they committed to increase spending next year. Yawn.
9
Trump has been blunt and has not sugar coated the truth to NATO. US presidents who preceded Trump were not bold enough to tell the truth for fear that the "allies" could not handle the truth and still hide behind their failure to exhibit a financial commitment important for the sustainability, viability and relevance of NATO.
The multi-pronged approach to world peace by the Trump administration is a sea change that is likely to provide measurable results. I don't think Trump is making an effort to be the nice guy by sending a clear message to the Europeans.
He is in fact doing his best to hammer home the point he is trying to make and that is what I understand he was elected to do. and in doing so he is representing the best interest of American tax payers who want to see accountability in how tax dollars are spent and how is it that we have ended up with a 20 trillion dollar debt most of it in this century alone.
2
Is that why he signed into law the largest military spending budget every? Was it for the good of the American taxpayer? Because the Pentagon is so transparent about what it spends our tax dollars on
6
Wait - what?? Pissing off all our allies is a multi-pronged approach to world peace? And our allies, and what they may or may not have contributed to NATO, are responsible for our 20 trillion dollar debt?
4
Girlish, what you fail to understand is that the US is the principal beneficiary of the NATO relationship. There is an agreement in place to have Defense spending reach 2% of GDP by 2024. Trump is demanding that happen now and also wants it doubled to 4%. (The US currently spends 3.1% of GDP). Of course, that is impossible, to do so would wreak havoc on national budgets. Furthermore, it will do nothing to affect the American taxpayer at all. American military spending will not decrease one cent. The big, big, red herring here is the belief that the US is somehow protecting Europe. It isn’t, it is protecting itself and it’s time the US media paid attention to that fact. NATO is the US door to the continent. It gives the US access, staging, intelligence, airspace and defence of her economic interests. Of course, it allows the US to maintain actual military bases on the continent.
7
If NATO countries won't spend the money to make it a viable alliance then NATO will be no good in a war.
We will be headed for war with China within the next two decades. We cannot afford to have NATO countries taking advantage of us by sitting out that war. If we want democracy to triumph, everyone in the West will have to contribute to the fight, not just to the United States.
If indeed NATO countries aren't going to bother to try to make the alliance viable then we should interpret their intransigence as a tacit endorsement of a Chinese dominated world.
The only appropriate hedge, then, is for the United States to seek a separate accord with Russia. Russia and America can, together, keep the Chinese down.
The worst of all possible scenarios for us is for Russia and China to form an axis and for the EU to instruct its NATO members to not bother opposing such an axis, leaving America and the Anglosphere to face down that axis on their own.
Germany and Italy are the two worst offenders in Europe of this kind of scheming and Trump - however crude his language - is right to take them to task for their intransigence. Coincidentally, Italy and Germany are the two most pro-Russia countries in Europe (ignore the German rhetoric, Germany wouldn't be signing these pipeline deals if they were actually anti-Russian). They are Trojan horses seeking to wreck NATO.
Ironically, it's up to Trump of all people to stop them.
1
Germany buys natural gas because it the least polluting fuel that is also the most efficient when used to meet the fluctuating loads of generators backing up renewable energy grids.
6
Gosh, you'd almost think that Trump screwed up when he yacked about bailing out of Asia, bailed on TPP, sucked up to Xi, let a major Chinese company off the hook, played the fool with North Korea, and took $600 mil in loans from Chinese banks.
1
Purity of Essence? Really? War with China sometime in the next two decades? Is your real name Nostradamus? If the US goes to war with China we are all in very deep doo-doo, because such a war could not remain conventional for long ... China would not likely win a conventional war despite her population. The US military is vastly superior to the Chinese, but in a Nuclear war? All bets are off other than the assurance that many tens of millions will die and the world will be a much different place. They don’t call it MADD for nothing.
Before the summit: NATO allies agree to raise their share of military spending to 2% GDP by 2024. After the summit: NATO allies confirm that they will raise their share of military spending to 2% GDP by 2024. Wow, Trump, that's some victory. In terms of substance and geopolitical impact, it's right up there with Walter Mondale's miraculous 1984 win in the state of Wisconsin (as per the imagination of the "stable genius.").
6
Everyone (starting with Trump) seems to ignore the fact that NATO members’ defense spending is basically all related to NATO countries, while US defense spending also includes defense of Asian allies and others, so it’s to be expected that we spend twice as much (as GDP %) since we have global commitments and deployments
6
Make false accusations. Blame prior administrations. Declare victory. Repeat.
18
It's pretty amazing watching Trump and Trumpists praise Trump, considering that he got precisely jack changed here...well, except for the hopey, changey way that this President made us all look weak.
An increase in spending by NATO members? Nope, they agreed to that in 2006 and 2011, and haven't changed a thing since. Did they agree to double spending to 4% of GDP? Nope, and by 2024, this country will be spending 2.7%.
So what got changed? Is this just another of those "Hey, I'll start yelling and lying, go to meetings and yell and lie some more, then declare victory and wave my arms, stiffly, until the suckers forget all about it."
Or are we relying on pretty much the greatest alibi of the century so far--"Oh, of COURSE there aren't any results yet! You hysterical lib'ruls forget that this is a BUSINESS NEGOTIATION, and a MASTER BARGAINER is executing his ART OF THE DEAL!!!"
Love to know how we're explaining North Korea cranking out more uranium and skipping today's meetings without notice or explanation. But judging by what I just saw on FOX, that seems to be Peter Strzok's fault.
One wonders just how much incompetence it's going to take.
13
What's equally amazing, is how (you) conservatives show absolutely no skepticism over Trump's business acumen; using "The Apprentice," or "The Art of the Deal" as barometers, it's evident that Kim played him like a violin (exactly what DID Trump get out of this deal...really?)
The man is not merely a crook; but a certified, bonded, licensed and insured fraud, who thinks bullying and bluster get results. They don't.
Trump may be getting what he wants from NATO; but, he's also losing the respect and goodwill from our allies; almost not unlike the way he bankrupted his casinos. But, I guess (you) conservatives overlooked that one, too; along with the fact that no U.S. bank will loan him a dime. That alone, should give you an idea of how terrific a businessman he really is.
Open your eyes!
6
Uh, is he supposed to hold a gun to their head? If the Europeans don't want to uphold their end, then don't be surprised when we look towards Russia to counter China.
Prepping the ground for Trump's sellng us out to Col. Putin, are we?
Hey, ya think it might've been a bad idea to yawp about bailing out of Asia, dump TPP and leave the area's economics to China, threaten our allies in Japan and North Korea, suck up to Xi, get suckered by the DPRK, and take a new $600 mil in Chinese loans?
1
KEEP THE PROTEST ALIVE.
Vote in November.
19
Trump seems to think that if he just shows up and whines a lot that everything is solved. And in his utterly psychotic mind it is. So! The "NATO problem" is fixed! Thanks Trump! And NK is getting rid of all their nukes - because Trump says and believes so. Fixed! Thanks Trump! And no on to Russia where Trump will tell Putin that his agenda is almost complete and ask for further instructions. Thanks Trump! And, not to forget, Thanks to all the Trumpers who put this psycho in office. Most "interesting times" ever!
9
How is anyone,the American public,our allies supposed to have any faith in a President that speaks out of both sides of his mouth? He sounds like he is developing some mental disease he is so incoherent.
11
This is ridiculous. USA has an agreement on paper
with NATO and nothing has changed. Trump the foul mouth liar did not achieve any new outcomes. All he did was agitate our allies and make himself out to be more belligerent than ever. What is plain as day is that this fool needs to be on a very short chain. And every one of his lies should be front page news! The world demands that much from USA media and the NY Times.
I’m sure Trump will head off to England, insult the Britains and the awaiting protesters there before
going on to chum around with his hero and collaborator Master Putin. And oh yes he’ll put in a hard days work on his private golf course in Scotland, all at tax payers expense...and the expense of our (USA) reputation.
8
The very respected German Der Spiegel wrote today, that Trump acts more and more like a Mafia Godfather threating and bullying Europe and NATO to extort money for protection which is an illusion and more a shill game.
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/donald-trump-beim-nato-gipfel-verh...
17
Trump believes that world peace can only be secured by an international kleptocracy of like-minded thugs. It is a remarkable bet on honor among thieves.
1
"“Free riders aggravate me,”.. said the President . Great Britain will no longer be able to claim a “special relationship” with the United States if it did not commit to spending at least 2 percent of its GDP on defense"
Who said this ?
Trump ?
Nope ! Obama
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/04/the-obama-doctrine/...
3
This is not relevant since UK IS spending more than 2% on defense and meeting their current obligations. Also, Obama is no longer president.
4
And since they all signed a commitment to do that very thing in 2014 while he was president, I assume President Obama got some actual results. And he didn't have to strut around beating his chest to get it done. Also, he didn't take all the credit or brag about it either.
3
So what's your point? That liberal presidents aren't the weak dupes that Trump insists they are? I agree. Trump didn't change anything......the allies are still aiming for the 2024 goal...the unchanged goal from 2014...
What a silly braggart! Inside he must have a low opinion of himself that he needs to pump himself up and lie and lie and lie. He should have been a used car salesman. It suits his 12 year old personality better. I never believe a word he says and I suggest you do the same. Such a child!
9
I always thought US president had limited power to change the course of US foreign policy compared to their campaign promises. This recent claims from Trump really challenge my view.
1
The European governments ought to increase the rental fee the US pays for the use of its bases in Europe, or simply kit the US out. Europe would be better without the US military, the US wouldn't, so Mr. Trump ought consider this.
3
You don’t seem to be pulling in the same direction as the rest of us. You scenario is highly highly unlikely...I think the EU countries find comfort in know USA’s finest are a call away from protecting not just ours but theirs as well. With all its faults and ugly warts, USA isn’t that bad. We can disagree but let’s all pull in the same direction and if not, let’s not propose ideas that cost the country
Putin and the Russians are the beneficiaries of Trump's eventual moves to weaken NATO and probably withdraw from or reduce US participation in that alliance. The Russians own this president and the entire world is witnessing that ownership. Macron knows exactly what is happening and it follows the Paris Climate Accords, the Iran Nuclear Treaty, US helping rid Syria of Assad, etc., all things that weaken the US and assist the Russian return to pre-1991 status or worse.
14
Who believes what Trump says anymore? No one. His rhetoric is old and wornout, he will always claim a victory, he will always blame someone (the Dems, Hillary, Obama, NATO, Europe, China, everyone but Russia) and he will always show how lazy he is and u-informed. He is in a position with inteliigence at his fingertips and he ignores it and it shows. He does not prepare, he lies, makes things up in the moment and thinks he is getting away with it. He isn't. It shows and the world knows it. He is a disgrace.
13
President Miscreant spends more than half his time active in the realm of: Twist/Deny/Distort/Lie Lie Lie AND Lie Some More
13
Trump has all the deal-making skills and political acumen of a meth dealer.
I heard a commentator (Daniel Drezner) say recently:
“When Germany starts spending more on defense, shockingly, Germany’s neighbors start getting twitchy about it.”
“The purpose of NATO is to keep the Americans in, Russia out, and the Germans down.”
Donald John Trump is completely clueless about both the purpose of NATO, and the very real, extremely vital, American interests when it comes to projecting American power around the world — something we MUST have the cooperation of our allies in Europe to do! Trump is completely focussed on hassling ’club members to get paid up on their dues’, while idiotically undermining/ignoring the fact that it is NOT in America‘s interest for all of the other NATO members to match U.S. spending levels on defense. WE get much more than we pay for... a much more stable Europe, allies who have our backs, and military bases, without which we could not project power to counter Russia, and our abilities in the Middle East would also be greatly reduced.
WE get much more from NATO than even our outsized contribution mathematically merits! (It's not a casino or a real estate deal Donald!) It's a really good deal!
DJT will declare a great victory... because he can say to the MAGA dolts ‘see I got them to pay their club dues!’ — while greatly undermining American power.
The dude’s an incompetent babbling grifter.
Impeach. Remove. Now.
: ) L
16
"Donald John Trump is completely clueless about both the purpose of NATO"
NOT SO. HE RECOGNIZES THE STATED PURPOSE OF NATO. HE'S JUST ANNOYED THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT HIM.
In Trumpworld, it's all just made for TV (and twitter, and Breitbart, and InfoWars...).
Pound your chest, hurl a few childish insults, wait for the crowd to rise to the bait, blather on incoherently, then declare victory and wait for the chumps - his 'millions of fans' - to applaud. It's like the Mickey Mouse Club, but you get to buy a red hat to put on your noggin instead of those little mouse ears.
We're all just participants in Trump's yuuuge, terrific game show. He's got the best ratings! That's entertainment!
12
Dear Congress,
When are you going to do something about this catastrophe?
Sincerely,
Concerned Citizen
PS - instead of doing something about this catastrophe FBI Agent Strzok is being grilled a la Benghazi by the likes of Goodlatte and Gowdy and they are beclowning themselves as usual.
They refused to subpoena Steve Bannon who is in London sowing chaos and division.
So I guess that answers my question.
Deplorable.
20
Trump lies again. He just continues to make up what he wants and as he continues this process his buddies at Fox support these lies and then many Americans see it as the truth. Shame on these unfortunate, non thinking Americans.
8
Again, he is the "hero" of the Summit meeting, solely for his benefit and the benefit of his minions. No one agreed to the 4%. The agreement is 2% to be reached in a few years.....what a negotiator.....Now, awaiting what he will give away to Putin...that balloon???
9
So much concern on Trump's part regarding getting ripped off or stiffed. I wonder why. By now the record shows that he routinely accuses others of precisely what he is guilty of. Our president is a lying, bullying, blowhard who continues to horrify anyone who understands that there are consequences for such terrible leadership.
10
Come on, NYT. Trump was not the only leader ignored during the photo op. No one talked to Merkel. In fact no one was really talking to anyone else. So, just calm down and get your facts straight.
3
Unlike many other state leaders, Trump only speaks English. Poor American education.
1
It doesn't take a "stable genius" to see that Donald Trump is utterly mad and the GOP is guilty of refusing to face this reality in order to save their own overfed crooked hides. They should all be voted out off office come November and he should be either impeached or indicted. This entire Trump saga from start to finish reeks of corruption and criminality and as for his base, they have become a hateful nasty cult. Shame on them all !
17
putin's puppet now belief in NATO? Trumps a consummate liar and no shame lying on the world stage. I'm so glad the veto proof legislation, passed in Congress this week on tariffs and standing strong with our NATO allies have stifled this orange primate.
9
In his advanced stage of delirium and with his delusions of grandeur, trump clearly believes that he is both CEO and CFO of NATO, and President and Commander in Chief of The World.
Thera sketch in the old original Winnie The Poo books of Christopher Robin standing straight with a paper sword in hand and his little stuffed animals around him, where he seems to think he is their leader while they clearly are doing their own thing. With no offense to C Robin, an innocent (and fictitious) child - Since trump took office, for some reason that image pops into my mind whenever he sllobbers out another of his bombastic claims to great leadership.
9
I guess the Trump mantra is kicking in....lie...lie and lie. If they don't believe you, keep lying and they will eventually think it true.....as taught him by Roy Cohn.
14
This man is a blathering fool. He makes us and himself look like an idiot every time he spews. We can't be done with him soon enough.
16
Recommend you need to go watch some movies and read some history. Our late entry into WWII was honestly tragic. We allowed hundreds of thousands of deaths and a stronger Hitler. We entered when we got attacked, not for a noble purpose of helping Europe or the Jews being slaughtered. At least watch Dunkirk so you can see how our eventual allies were massacred while we waited to enter the war. Picking up some history books may be a better thing for you. As far as the Cold War goes - also suggest you educate yourself on what Russia did when the wall came down and all the damage that's ensued. Reagan's precious reputation ought to include the outcome impacts the tentacles of which, by the way, we are being strangled with now. Again, read a bit - Red Mafiya by William I. Friedman is a good one on that topic.
5
The guy is a moron. Why fuss over the things he says? He doesn't understand most of what he says.
10
The more Trump lurches around and screams, the more inclined I am to think that all you really need to understand what's nuts about his bizarre screamings is old ad slogans and cliches.
"You got to pay the cost if you want to be the boss," handles this one pretty nicely.
Climate change and the Paris Accords? Easy: "Pay me now, or pay me later."
Iran deal? No prob, for "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Obamacare? SImple: "Even as ye do unto the least of others, ye do unto Me."
North Korea's blowing off today's meetings after amping up their uranium production? Never heard the one about the scorpion and the frog?
The crazed tax cuts? "Ain't no such thing as a free lunch."
Gullibility of Trumpists is easiest of all; we all know there's one born every minute, and nobody ever went broke overestimating the vulgarity of the American public.
7
He doesn't believe in NATO any more than he believes in Hillary Clinton. He believes in himself, promotes himself, draws attention to himself, and sucks all the energy out of a room all for himself. If you're not absolutely terrified of this pathological, dishonest, prevaricating liar locking himself up in a room with Vladimir Putin with no reporters present, you're simply not paying attention.
21
At the height of the Vietnam War with the bulk of Americas military might in South East Asia, The Nato mission of the ground forces in Germany, who were opposed by a far superior Warsaw pact across the border, was to provide a short window of time for the western nations to consider the nuclear options available to them, which was the real deterrent the Nato pact provided for the defense of Western Europe. The situation has not changed that much since those days, America is again in a protracted war in the Middle East and there has been a substantial US troop reduction on German soil in the past 20 years. The squabbling over who should pay what, and when, for conventual forces pales over the importance of the nuclear deterrent capabilities of this alliance still in place. A powerful line in the sand deterrent that is not a part of the discussion concerning threats, or extortions of withdrawing support by any one member of the group.
2
There is absolutely no way on God's green earth that I will every believe a single thing this man says. From North Korea to Brussels and all spots in between, it is lie, lie, lie, and lie again. What a total sleaze and unmitigated disaster for the US.
11
I didn't live in New York or go to Atlantic City. But the Trump deal is to say outrageous things every day to show everyone his is a leader, strong, important. Then after creating a " crisis" he insults some more , has a meeting and he "solves" the crisis, big media play. In the end the problem is not solved or resolved, but he can claim it is, because he said so. But Alantic City is bust and American bankers will not lend him money.
8
This president's "fake" NATO claims and his overall tendency to lie with a straight face evokes Aesop's Fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" Namely, "If people decide that a person is not trustworthy, they’re not likely to abandon their own tasks to help in the same way that they would for a person they know to be honest. When the villagers decided that the Boy doesn’t tell the truth, they decide not to abandoned their posts when he does need help."
That's opposed to NATO's actions after 9/11, when due to our honest all for one, one for all cohesive mutually respectful attitude, our allies dropped what they were doing and came to our aid post haste. Thus, it could be said that chronic lying by the man at the top plus his blind path toward isolation can have a deleterious impact on our country and us all. As we saw recently in Thailand, survival takes a global village.
8
Is any Trump supporter going to actually READ this? Doubt it’s. They read his Twitter feed. “Mr. Trump’s complaint is that, while NATO member countries have agreed to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic products on military spending, most do not. But none has violated that agreement, because the 2 percent figure is a target to be reached by 2024.According to NATO, all members have significantly raised military spending since 2014, and eight are expected to meet the goal.” He’s ONLY ever interested in making news, sowing chaos, being center of attention. He has no solutions. The needy, child-President.
7
Actually, eight countries are expected to meet the two percent target by this year.
1
At the very least, the headline should have read "Trump Falsely Claims Victory on Military Spending".
8
In the second photo, there are twenty-two players, so enough for two cricket teams. A cricket pitch is exactly one chain, twenty-two yards in length between wickets. Add in the two missing umpires needed for a game of cricket, presumably off camera, and one would have twenty-four. Which of course is enough for two Last Suppers if you take Jesus out of the picture.
What's the significance of all this?
Frankly, I have no idea. All I know is that gangsters and shysters like Trump do not play cricket, do not play by the rules, tear up the rule book, try to impose their own rules, and if thwarted eventually will threaten to snatch up the ball, the only bat, the stumps and the bails and stomp off home.
4
Reading comments here Is certainly a testimony to the fortitude of the human spleen. Such a magnificent organ, it really needs its own special occasion.
1
Reading through the headlines of main European papers and checking out the comment sections the general impression and statements are very clear, Trump, nevermind how mental he is even though his madness is breathtaking, he and the US have declared war against Europe and that is considered a fact.
9
If Europe spends significantly more on defense, I would hope the US defense budget would be reduced by a similar amount. However, I think the probability of the US spending less on what amounts to a socialist welfare program for the south and the defense industry is vanishingly small.
5
I don't know which is more incredible: that Trump says he believes in NATO or some of the people replying here claim they don't like Trump but believe he's right about trade and our allies.
3
I will say one positive thing about Trump. He's triggered a revival of civic education. A bunch of us have gone back to the books to make sure we know how stuff works. We've become complacent -- taken our freedoms, safety, security, economics, the right to vote, for granted.
He's challenged what we thought we knew. It's a good thing. Trump's oddball statements and confusing rhetoric makes me question myself; do I actually know how NATO works. I thought I did. Turns out I do. Whew.
10
Trump does not talk to the world, or to his country. He talks to his base. That's it. For him, the rest of the planet might as well not exist. He's not trying to convince anyone who disagrees of anything. He simply lies to his base and they drink it from the tap.
5
Well the meeting sounded like a horrible experience for everyone other than the caterers. Now we all know what Trump said and everything the Times has to say to refute it. A most enjoyable read, like always.
1
Whereas I like Mr. Trump affirming his support for NATO, he says so much that is clearly not true that one can only take whatever he says with a grain of salt. At the same time it is important for all others to act in such a way as to strengthen the alliance and not to openly cast doubt on US resolve. It is with some chagrin that I have to admit some merit in some of what Mr. Trump has said about Russian gas and NATO spending. At the same time it is important to note that no NATO country has actually broken a spending commitment they made as all commitments were in respect to a still well off future date. Does being really obnoxious and wantonly incorrect in what you say truly have benefit? Yes and No. It certainly doesn't endear the US to its allies.
2
Fact: Germany gets 9% of its energy from Russia, NOT 70%. More lies from tRump. The Russian puppet is tRump, not Germany. Along with trying to sell military supplies to NATO members, is he also trying to sell natural gas, as did Pruitt? So this really IS a sales trip that will never benefit our country, but only tRump's donor corporations.
8
Mr. Ed was a stable genius. Mr. Trump, not so much.
8
Trump is living in this dystopian fantasyland infused with paranoia, where the world is crumbling before him and he feels threatened at every turn. As such, he presents that self-inflicted fear to members of NATO, who know better, having endured world wars and the threat of Soviet expansion and Russian aggression. He may be able to snow ignorant Americans, but Europeans see right through him.
9
I am genuinely surprised and disappointed that the NYTimes would use such deceptive headlines as "'I Believe in NATO': Trump Affirms Support for Alliance" and "Trump Claims Victory on Military Spending". As the Times' many fine journalists know, NATO is a political-military balancing act, at the core of which must lie an unshakeable belief that the US and Europe (and Canada) will always have each other's backs when it matters. What Trump did in Brussels was unprecedented: he announced that NATO is henceforth a US protection racket. His nonsensical claim that he "believes in NATO" is nothing compared to the other messages he left behind.
5
Wow.
Donald Trump stars in the all new remake of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.
It’s more than unnerving to watch a babbling madman leave the world around him apparently dumbfounded.
How do we restore hope for humanity?
6
People seem to gloss over the reality that having an alliance pre-established, based upon our rules and observant of our interests covering a large amount of the developed world is in itself incredibly valuable to the United States. Trump can't grasp that higher level value and so reverts back to shopkeeper's accounting.
Also, it plays to members of his "base", which couldn't care much about anything beyond their new boat, truck, widescreen, six pack of Coke and a bag of pork rinds, and the ability to blame their problem on someone from somewhere else who doesn't look like them.
Oh, by the way, if war happens in Europe once again, it's those countries that will bear the full cost of the impact, while we sit back here, nice and fat.
7
It is indeed a long US tradition to hector NATO allies about spending, in particular in Europe, while at the same time opposing European military cooperation initiatives to maintain hegemony within NATO and ensure Europe does not compete on arms sales. So we're all used to American hypocrites, Trump is just a lot more obvious in his backstabbing lies.
But if Macron has demonstrated one thing at this NATO summit, it is that Trump's noise has been tuned out. Good luck getting the world's attention and cooperation when this clown act exits stage left.
#MAGA
6
“The Apprentice” goes global, huge ratings!
How to tell if he’s lying: Are his lips moving.
Like watching a volcano go off; a disaster, but it gets predictable.
7
Trump's continuous lies that imply the U.S. is some kind of mercenary power that charges for protection are debunked constantly. The U.S. spends less than 2% itself on military spending in Europe with most of its budget dedicated elsewhere. Germany gets only 9% or so of its energy from Russia.
Trump's foreign policy seems to be Putin's foreign policy. Kiss up to dictators and tyrants, particularly oligarchs, and alienate all allies on all fronts -- environmental, trade, human rights, and now the military.
Trump knows better than his generals about ISIS, and now evidently about defensive alliances. After all his North Korea meeting produced exactly zero except propaganda for North Korea.
National security experts including almost all senior Republican ones warned about Trump's unfitness for office before the election. They may well have been aware of his Russian kompromat and financial interests which keep emerging still.
Treason is treason, whether it is by the Moscow Mules in the Senate, by Nunes and Rohrabacher et al in the Congress, or his own family's business interests that are completely compromised by foreign loans and favors. Corruption is corruption, and Trump is the biggest package of all of this.
The GOP became a party of treason and corruption with only a few examples of patriotism and common sense even left. History books will not be kind.
7
The leaders of China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, are counting down the days until Trump is out of office. And, are hoping that Trump doe snot crash the world economy, or create a pan global conflict.
Like, with other so called "summits", Trump continues to make the world more dangerous, and is doing everything possible to create serious damage to the world economy. Domestically, Trump continues to divide the country, undo everything accomplished during the Obama Administration, come up new daily lies, continues to make life hard fro the middle class and less fortunate, caters to the wealthy class, and continues the trample the Constitution. On top of all this, he feels not only he is above the law; he is the law.
While, US relations, between its allies (government and citizens), before Trump took over, the developments, in the US, concern them. Mainly because, if Trump can serious damage the US, then a leader, like Trump, could do the same, in other nations.
The bottom line, Democracy is under attack, from all corners, especially those who have amassed great wealth. This small group of individuals will not be happy, until a Chinese or Russia like government becomes the norm for all nations. A world which they own everything, and the population is enslaved to an oligarch order.
NATO, and the UN, are important, as it is what stands between world peace/democracy/freedom and warfare/tyranny./enslavement
12
President Trump is demanding that NATO countries spend more on their own defense. Given Germany's history, do we really want a build-up of the German (and other European) armies? A peaceful, unified Europe is not guaranteed into the 21st century.
10
"Given Germany's history, do we really want a build-up of the German (and other European) armies? "
EXACTLY the reason the US took on the defense of Europe against the Soviets! The whole idea was to keep European countries from building back their armies. Considering the rise of the ultra right wing in Europe and the US, this is not a fanciful scenario at all.
7
Imagine if Trump said "Given Germany's history...", oh the backlash he would get! I don't think the Germans are some evil group of people. The German people are more than capable of creating a peacekeeping military.
It's worth it at this moment to think about how our allies now not only suspect this president, but also must doubt the efficacy of our electoral system--namely, the Electoral College--that enabled Trump's minority claim to the Oval Office. True, many of these leaders are part of parliamentary systems of government which may be considered less stable than ours. But the biggest "disadvantage" of a parliamentary system--the ability to upend an unpopular leader--today looks pretty good right now to many Americans who see how Electoral College bias for rural voters could keep Trump in office for another six years.
In short, our allies have every right to fear another Trump-like figure could emerge in perpetuity
--enabled again by agrarian voters who liked what Trump had done. And what our allies fear should likewise scare Americans who do not want any new Trump-like presidents. The continuation of the Electoral College post-Trump would almost certainly raise the odds that more presidents in Trump's mold could emerge victorious long after this current presidential disaster has left the political stage.
17
Who pays what, of the NATO budget ?
Numbers please
US 69.7%
UK 6.1%
France 5.1%
Germany 5.0%
(The remaining 20% are from smaller partners)
If you normalize the EU partners pay to the US by setting the US = 100, the numbers change to
US = 100 (base)
UK = 7.6 (as % of base)
France = 6.4% (as % of base)
Germany = 6.25 (as % of base)
Size of GDP , in percent of GDP of US,
US 100% (Base = 100)
UK 13.5% (as % of base)
France 13.3% (as % of base)
Germany 19.0% (as % of base)
2
Thanks. I hadn't known that the US's GDP is 100% of the US's GDP.
16
NPR disagrees...
To see the NATO budget, go to www.nato.int
• Understand that there's two different sets of numbers and calculations. There's an alliance organizational operating budget (administration, staff, activities like meetings). And then there's the business of member countries' defense budgets and alliance contribution (military strength, assets).
• Understand what "gross domestic product" (GDP) means.
• Understand that there's no 'kitty' somewhere that alliance countries chip in to.
Obama also complained EU nations need to spend more on defense in relation to NATO commitments. Where was the liberal outcry then? All of a sudden Trump says it and it's considered blasphemy.
2
Not: No need for an "outcry" because elected President Obama persuaded NATO members to up their participation payments and to reach 2% GDP by 2025, a goal that they are & were working towards before the ConDon banged his shoe on the table yesterday morning, demanding the very same.
2
I don’t think anyone is objecting to the premise that our NATO allies need to shoulder more of the burden. What we object to is Trump’s attempt to achieve this through his usual combination of bullying, blustering, puffing himself up, and lying. Everyone but Trump and his base can see that this and his G7 performance are having the effect of alienating all of our allies while delighting Putin.
1
It has something to do with President Obama (and President Bush, for that matter) stating the honest case civilly and intelligently in public, then pursuing their concerns behind closed doors like grownups, and above all without sucking up to the shabby likes of Vladimir Putin in ways that make anybody sensible wonder just what they're afraid of.
It has been said that Donald J. Trump has no real friends other than some of his children (maybe). This seems very likely considering how he has treated those who have remained loyal to him ("loyal" probably out of self-interest, not true friendship"). America will certainly need friends in the future, but we will probably have none after Trump leaves the White House.
11
"Mr. Trump once again hailed himself as a “very stable genius” and took “total credit” for persuading his allies to increase military spending. And he took credit for other NATO countries having increased their military spending by $33 billion in the last year."
Someone should ask him if he has "tiger blood" and whether he is winning.
7
In war the willingness to fight is the willingness to risk one’s life on behalf of others. If one is feared to be someone who will let others down, no matter that one is strong, nobody will want to go to war with that one. We saw that happen in Iraq when ISIS swept through it and the Iraqi army with great divisions in that government fled before a weaker foe.
What Trump is doing is demoralizing the countries of NATO by making them uncertain that the U.S. is still willing to fight. The European contribution of 2% is not crucial but their commitments and ours to fight are fundamental. Trump is the bad actor, here.
6
I assume he gave his sacred word of honor when when he pledged his commitment to NATO. Goodbye Europe.
2
Germany and other European countries would be well advised to leave NATO and form their own alliance. To threaten allies with unspecified consequences if they fail to increase spending to first to 2% and then to 4% of the GDP (for what? To buy US made overpriced equipment ?) should be met with a threat to form their own alliance and cease support for US military adventures. The US needs their bases in Europe. Maybe it is time to kick them out.
8
Somebody has to sit down with Donald and explain to him that he works for us, and that he cannot alter the course of American military, foreign and trade policy and alliances without a consensus of Congress and the American people.
The world laughs at him and at us. But we're all terrified his obsessive-compulsive disorder will flare up at the wrong moment.
16
Apparently he can and is doing anything he pleases.
He suggests that HE got the allies to pony up 2%, which actually happened in 2006, but he's taking credit for that. And, it appears that he's really on a sales/marketing trip, suggesting that the the smaller countries can BUY our military supplies, with rotating credit. "It's an Alliance, not a country club." Do our allies still trust us? No. Jeezus.
18
Trump's visit to NATO headquarter at Brussel reminds me of Jerry Seinfeld's uncle, Leo, visiting him. Yes, the same uncle Leo who is a "kvetch" and who constantly brags about his son and his vast accomplishments while working in the Parks Department. And, just like Mr. Trump, he accidentally became the leader of an organization that did not like parks (See "The Doorman" episode).
In the episode "The Pony Remark" Jerry let it slip that he has nightmares about sitting next to Leo at dinner tables for, like Mr. Trump, he has the tendency to grab the person's arm embarrassingly and hold them close. Why? Jerry explains that he must be doing this "because so many people have left in the middle of his conversation."
20
Trump doesn't believe in anything ... every action, reaction or comment is motivated primarily by ego and secondarily by self-enrichment. Preferably both but he'll settle for making himself appear larger than he is even if it means lying about, or even tearing down, anything that makes him look weak.
8
I never knew what a informational leader means - "NATO was weak 2 days ago but it is strong today"
Now how many people can actually do that?
I jest of course!
Now how many people actually believe what he said?
I don't jest anymore.
Because they voted for him.
10
Like a surly adolescent in the throes of a perpetual, self-generated, self-destructive, hormonal-driven drama, this president wakes up every morning on the wrong side of whatever bed he has slept in. He takes out his anxiety and hostilities on the people nearest him at the moment, and his anger and resentment continue to build unchecked. If he were truly an adolescent, there would be parents and siblings and support people to help set him straight and get him through his day without damaging relationships and ruining his life. Instead, this president's "parents and siblings" -- read that, members of Congress and his administrative staff -- continue to allow the president to rage unchecked against the world. Even the courts system is starting to cave in to his selfish, politicized demands. His behavior is destroying the nation's credibility and reputation as a stable, trustworthy country.
26
Trump needs his private meeting with Putin in Helsinki, without any Americans present.
Trump wants to speak with the world’s chief mischief maker privately because he knows the Special Prosecutor will soon release information connecting Russia’s financial support to Trump through Deutsche Bank.
Trump will soon need a diversion that only Putin can pull off.
In 2008, Trump defaulted on a $640 million loan from Deutsche Bank’s real estate division in the peak of the Financial Crisis.
After public lawsuits, the Wealth Management division of Deutsche Bank - backed by Russian oligarchs (aka Friends of Putin) through Cyprus - put up the necessary collateral to finance continued payments plus an additional credit line of from $50 to $100 million in 2010.
Trump began his infamous “Birther” campaign to discredit a sitting American president thereafter.
This is the smoking gun:
A direct line from the Russian oligarch’s $700 million financial lifeline to Trump in 2010 from one division of Deutsche Bank to another that purchased Trump’s unwavering fealty to Russia, and support for Russia’s interests over our own and our closest allies.
When this is released, Trump and Putin need a diversion that would allow Trump to claim special powers.
That is exactly how Putin gained power (1999 Russian Apartment Fires) - by starting a war with Chechnya and abandoning Russia’s brief democratic experiment.
It may be no coincidence that Justice Kennedy resigned, given his son’s bank position.
22
His first question, when he's alone with Putin, "Do you have Hillary's emails?"
The only special power I want him to claim is to make himself disappear - forever.
All that noise, disruption and spectacle--100% for the benefit of Trump's monstrous ego. Nothing really changed within NATO--except maybe for Germany now saying its defense spending will reach 2% of GDP by 2024 instead of 1.5%.
This was a disgraceful and degrading performance. Trump's only accomplishment was in fooling his base, once again, into thinking he had actually achieved something. And that's all that counts with him and them. The entire world seems to be swirling helplessly in the vortex of one person's gargantuan need for confirmation.
What Trump did achieve--and what no one wants to talk about at the moment--is a serious, further undermining of US allies' trust in the USA as a reliable partner in anything, and a matching increase in US enemies' sense of the USA in sharp decline as an effective counter to their designs.
25
Any stable genius can see that spending on defense primarily benefits the companies selling products used for defense.
That about covers the entire NATO episode.
12
When are Republican congressional representatives going to stand up and stop the huge damage Trump is doing to our international reputation and national security?
Trump is only about Trump. He succeeds only by attacking and creating chaos, then lying about what happened and reversing his position to make it as if it didn't happen. Well it did and it causes a lot of damage.
Trump will attack any person and any country that doesn't make him look good. Dictators know he will support them if they flatter him. When our allies speak the truth, he savages them. How incredibly dangerous to the U.S.
So, he has just undermined NATO, which plays a key role in our security, will probably undermine the U.K. in dealing with BREXIT and will have an off-the-record talk with Putin which will likely further undermine interests of the U.S.
11
Those complaining about the US’s outsized commitments to NATO are the same people arguing for ever expanding military budgets and crying over any mention of cuts. The two views don’t reconcile.
17
One these days, these leaders will acknowledge the Ukrainian gov't they expend so much praise on is a right wing anti-Semitic anti- Russian nationalist gov't that includes neo Nazis. Putin is the lighting rod for politicians who have no one else to blame for their loss of relevance. Certainly the corporatist Merkel has a hard time reconciling Germany's buy Russian natural gas policy and her nasty Putin bashing. Merkel is the political face of corporate Germany and their dominance over EU financial decisions. Macron is Quixotesque politician who is racing after windmills. Unfortunately it has a sinister twist in Syria and Yemen. May seems perched on a knifes edge pleading with her colleagues to please take her wild accusations against Russia seriously. May has the misfortune of watching Brexit turn Britain into a second rate economy. Clearly a change in gov't is necessary. Putin and Trump could discuss important issues that impact the entire world. While I think that Putin is a much shrewder pol than Trump, Trump holds all the best cards. Trump though is such a mean spirited out control blow hard. No one knows where his trade war follies is taking the US and the rest of the world.
4
Including him.
2
Okay, thanks. Now, anything to say about the NATO summit?
That is, after all, what THIS story was about.
1
Whether I like Mr. Trump or not (I don't), I approve of his unvarnished and undiplomatic view of Uncle Sam being taken advantage of in matters of trade and the defence of NATO.
The American taxpayer has been paying too much as the benevolent Uncle. All these foreign American nephews (and nieces) were once very poor and needed Uncle Sam's help. They are no longer poor and they should take care of themselves.
Mr. Trump stated that truth in his characteristic unvarnished language. Good for him and good for Uncle Sam. Diplomacy has its limits and Mr. Trump forcefully stated it.
5
What the US pays is a domestic issue, entirely controlled by your own political process. When you take responsibility for your own actions, others will start paying attention to what you have to say. Until then, you'll be seen by the rest of the world in exactly the same light as Trump himself, and justly ignored.
Regards.
7
Yeah, well when Trump has to pick up the phone and ask Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau and, let's throw in Malcolm Turnbull for good measure, for their soldiers blood in any military action he wants to engage us and they say, "First ask your good buddy Putin to put the lives of his soldiers and the line."
Yes, I suppose that's far-fetched, however, given Trump's "unvarnished language" towards them I can't help pondering that scenario.
2
Not sure where you've been since around 1907, but NATO is a mutual defense pact, not a defense of Europe pact. The fact that the U.S. considers a conquest of Western Europe to be a threat to its security is something you probably should have learned about in one of those classes you slept through in high school. The Berlin Airlift and the Marshall Plan have been over for quite some time now, too.
Time to come in to the present and upgrade your understanding of NATO.
As for "unvarnished language", Trump's tantrum yesterday is being compared around the world, even in this country in this newspaper, with Angela Merkel's very diplomatic rebuttal, which looks to everyone else except people who refuse to understand diplomacy, like Trump breaks by hitting the cue ball so hard it flies off the table, and Merkel runs the table and puts the eight ball in the side pocket.
The U.S. lost a ton of its soft power, translate 'hard cold real power' for the unvarnished language fans, yesterday. Trump softened the country up to, as right-wing icon Robert Welch said, drop like ripened fruit into the hands of the Russians. And Trump, who owes the Russians for his business and his presidency, is going to Helsinki next week to deliver the goods.
16
Trump's words mean nothing. He will say anything to get attention. In fact, he usually speaks out of both sides of his mouth, as in the case of believing in NATO after insulting Germany and all the othe NATO countries.
Only Trump's deeds matter. Seeing NATO and then seeing Putin immediately afterwards for a one on one tells us what we need to know about Trump. One way to interpret these actions are that he is largely interested in Putin as an ally, on the same level as NATO. This fact is borne out by his previous meetings and phone calls with Putin about which Americans are given no information.
Trump's private meetings with and calls to Putin, who has directed digital attacks on the US are frightening. If he thinks Americans don't have a need to know what he is saying to Putin, he is wrong.
43
"I am a very stable genius?" This statement by itself is evidence of mental illness. No one like this should be in the White House.
130
"No one like this should be in the White House."
Just one generation ago, saying something idiotic like that could derail a presidential candidacy.
How much further down can we sink before this redefining of accepted norms and conduct ends up destroying us?
This man must be defeated in 2020.
We already have state sanctioned kidnapping, imagine what's next on his agenda.
1
Another "nothingburger". Third rate showbiz vulgarity of the lowest kind for the benefit of the Wrestlemania crowd. His staff, or at least some-one in his staff must know the real figures and stats, but they don't matter when the lights are turned on and the cameras roll. It has already become an established pattern,
so much so that neither Wall St. nor real statesmen or women care to react anymore.
34
You had me until the end. Most women can’t stand him.
And that's what is dangerous... when we get fed up or too tired to contradict his perverse take on reality his ego, arrogance and bravado grows.
In August 1963, when I was ten, I met with Martin Luther King, Jr. and told him he should change his message from "I have a vision, to I have a dream." He took my advice and the rest is history!
This has the same validity as Don the Con's rambling press conference of this morning. Sure, he told the other NATO countries to 'pay up or else'. It's just no one can verify his statements, perhaps because, coward that he is, he never said it. This person representing over 300 million United States citizens is like watching children playing with dynamite. Something bad is bound to happen.
14
Interesting the stormy Daniels was arrested at one of her performances while Trump is out of the country.
11
President Trump's choice of words is as wise as Eva Braun's choice in men. He needs to run the opposite direction when he sees a microphone, but his job title and ego won't allow that.
He is terrible at his job, as is screamed from the metaphorical rooftops in the comments here. I agree with the direction of this discourse, but I'm not sure that our methods, our tactics, help our cause, our image, or our blood pressure. Yes, we should energetically strive to point out his many mistakes as our global representative. But is it necessary and effective to hate him beyond rationality, also? We seem to have lost our decorum, our equanimity, our own respectability. Mr. Spock, Socrates, and Spinoza, wiser souls than us, always recommended and behaved logically, not emotionally, even when their lives were in the balance.
Now that we've had our primal scream, what can we do to make things better? Public rage-fests, despite their oceanic community feeling, are not the solution.
Both political sides have and are engaging in sports-team-like competition, complete with professional cheerleaders, alumni backers, and packed stadiums. Discussion has become a verbal street brawl. Calling on our better angels may be a way out of this national nightmare. And no angel is stronger than rationality itself.
May cooler heads prevail. E pluribus Unum. And we might indeed live long and prosper.
9
ONE side is a clown act the other side has no means to corral, much less control. Platitudes and yet more false equivalency don't help, dude.
1
Determining the better goals, objectives, policies, strategy, tactics, methods, and techniques should be done coolly and with sound reasoning. The trouble is that with all of that done the motivation to actually carry it out is minimal. Psychologically the brain senses an accomplishment or satisfaction that weakens resolve. Discussing the original problem revives it. However, discussing can also satisfy and weaken the resolve. We will see in November. If everyone who is fed up with Trump votes and the Republicans lose there majorities in Congress, then the discussion may have proved useful.
Apparently, history insists that we can't solve our problems, at least, not for very long. We're like hairless apes with big brains fighting for what we want.
TRUMP'S METHOD OF BIG SUCCESS--1. Create a false crisis that has no basis in fact or is grossly exaggerated; 2. blame a friend or an enemy (doesn't matter) 3. Tell everyone that only HE can solve the problem with his great business acumen (unlike Obama); 4. Enter into a negotiation getting little or nothing and perhaps giving up a valuable asset; 5. Claim a major victory through hyperbole and guile at a neo-fascist-style rally. 6. PLAY GOLF.
42
And it works, is the thing.
Trump will be giving troop movements and artillery locations to his pal Putin but hey the billionaires got a tax break.
14
The ugly American arrives and acts like a two year old. Anyone who voted for this guy or DID NOT VOTE should be embarrassed. I think the members of NATO are just waiting for Trump to go away so that they can speak to an adult.
14
Is it any wonder the world hates us, we have a Liar In Chief who can't be trusted. By the end of trump's reign the US will be the pariah on the planet.
16
This man is a deeply destructive to US standing in the world. Worse are people who believe his lies and rhetoric.
22
The only discernible U.S. foreign policy is the Trump policy of an autocratic oligarch whose main goal is narcissistic grandiosity, greed and power and love for his fellow autocrats. He may "believe in NATO" the way he believed in keeping pre-existing conditions, not touching Medicaid, restoring jobs to Carrier workers, and workers benefiting from his tax cut which, is to say, not at all. He plays the victim who will not be suckered by China and Canada and the E.U. on trade or Germany and his NATO allies on paying their dues, but the real suckers are those (aka his "base") who believe the snake oil or, in the case of the trade war the Kool-Aid, and the rest of us who have to listen to his foul demeaning, falsehood-filled language, breath his foul, increasingly polluted, air, and helplessly watch his demolition of our Constitutional democracy and that of other democratic nations as well all while he profits from his Washington hotel and his weekly government-paid trips to his resort properties to golf. This may be a "victory" for a narcissist, but its a huge loss for the rest of us.
27
Instead of "stable genius" he is an "unstable idiot." First commitments are not hard cash, second, he is seen as a loud mouth with only American interests at heart in Europe. It may be time for Europe to give up their free ride, but it is also time for Trump to behave better...and work for the real interests of America, which are not those of big oil or the by now "past" steel industry. Times change...technology is the future. And his ridiculous sanctions are not conducive to the Industry, if China's rare earths are threatened with his petty behavior.
7
The lying continues...as do the insults and the arrogant posturing. Man, I hope we survive this tyrant.
An Kelly was upset about the breakfast...that one made me howl, Sarah. How you and the others can live with yourselves selling your souls to lie for this president, I have no idea.
22
"Victory"? In this total embarrassment of a Fake President's alternative universe's mind. Will this traitor also claim "victory" after his upcoming secret summit with pal Vladimir?
19
Yes.
Worse, one-third of the American populace will believe him -- many while decrying the ascension of socialism on U.S. soil. ("Oh no, communism!")
How much does the US owe NATO members for dragging them into the Iraq War based on lies? And how much does the US owe NATO countries for destabilizing the Middle East with its idiot wars and creating millions of refugees destabilizing Europe while we close our borders?
NATO countries should tell the US to put their power where the sun don't shine.
60
I don't just want him out of the Whitehouse. I want him penniless and in chains.
34
Time to eradicate the Republican Party once and for all. America can not stand more of this parade of lunacy and corruption. America is greater than this, truly, and not in terms of the racism, greed and lies Trump, Fox, the NRA, the Evangelical Church, Putin, Koch and Mercer project. Time to stand up for our true selves and wipe away the stain .
18
Yes, this. It used to be I thought balance between parties was a good thing.
But given their complacency this past 18 months - literally allowing this man to destroy our country, we must all ensure they are voted out and people who can stop this are voted in.
3
Same. This. My entire life I didn't think it mattered. I wasn't even noticing political party divides. Does anyone remember that it wasn't polite to ask what party people belonged to or how they voted?
I voted for the person, not the party. Sometimes a Republican candidate because I thought they were better for the job than the others. I'll never do that again.
It needs to be like Parliament - more parties, more representatives, more diversity of opinion, less importance on one of two parties.
3
Yeah, well NATO doesn’t believe in you.
8
trump is a lying traitor, good to see the world leaders standing up against him. hope trump is very temporary!!
15
Typical Trump: If you can't get the deal you want, simply lie and say you got the deal despite obvious facts to the contrary. That's how a stable genius does it.
21
But what exactly does he want?
Trump lies and claims victory; as usual. Trump loves Russia; attacks Democracy. Period. Vote out GOP for any hope of saving Democracy. Ray Sipe
25
What a despicable disgrace this man and his entire party of enablers are. God willing we survive this darkest time of treason and betrayal. Everything that is America and its North Star have been trashed by these hooligans.
27
Well said.
But I believe evangelicals have the direct line to god, that is to say their god trump whom the rest of US see as the devil. pro life in the womb ANTI life ever after.
Hypocrisy reigns in trump's KAKISTOCRACY.
Wow, you guys hate Trump SO much it blinds you to any positive influences he has accomplished on the world stage. In berating NATO on military spending he has said nothing that Obama and W before him said, almost word for word (albeit in a Jersey accent). I guess it takes your mind off the evaporation of your blue wave.
2
No, NATO countries pledged to increase spending back in 2014, and most are moving in that direction. With this in place, what's the point of Trump's badgering, and requesting a 4% increase? I don't recall Obama or W lying to us, or our allies about NATO spending. As for Trump's positive influence on the world's stage, I'll keep looking.
15
Interesting that Obama called for it in response to Russia annexing Crimea. As Russia seems to be trump's best friend, what's the reason to boost spending above previously committed increases?
5
Yes it is indeed a long US tradition to hector NATO allies about spending, in particular in Europe, while at the same time opposing European defense initiatives to maintain hegemony and ensure Europe does not compete on arms sales.
We're used to Americans being hypocrites, Trump is just a lot more obvious in his backstabbing lies. But if Macron has demonstrated one thing at this NATO summit it is that Trump's noise has been tuned out.
2
The US president has trouble with the following - facts, the truth, grammar, working with others, caring about anything other than his bank account and his ego. Combine that with his bipolar psychosis and we have a recipe for disaster. This administration is losing allies, breaking alliances, embracing enemies. All at the cost of one buffoon who needs to constantly believe that the world is being shaped around him. If this administration isn't a security threat - tell me what is?
17
Trying to impress Putin.
17
Why does The Times even print statements that are known to be false when the story is published? Is the confirmation standard no longer in effect in Times reporting? I still respect the standard recommended to reporters by an old journalism professor: "If your mother says she loves you, CHECK IT OUT!"
11
Thanks to the electoral college and his rabid base of supporters, this psychopathic buffoon is destroying everything that has made this country exceptional.
55
Given how Trump constantly flat-out lies (every meeting always goes "superbly", according to Trump) and misrepresents just about everything (he's not very bright, and doesn't understand most things), one has to take every utterance of his with a huge grain of salt. One can almost ignore his pronouncements and simply focus on what he does. Such an embarrassment.
9
He will lie about anything, anywhere, at any time, right to your face, with the proof of his lie having just been spoken or revealed.
Nothing he says can ever be taken at face value.
It's nothing short of astonishing.
12
Don't worry President Macron,
The entire world knows Donald Trump is an inveterate liar.
Signed US Citizen.
18
Every morning I wake up thanking God I live in Canada. Trump is an embarrassment to the whole world.
26
This is the wrong headline...once again misrepresenting what actually occurred. Trump lies, we know this, the media knows this. "Falsely claims" should have been in the headline. Please, please stop pandering to him. The media has played into his hands. His base is all he's concerned about, each lie is for them. He hopes to gain more useful idiots before 2020 otherwise he cannot win. Don't help him.
33
NATO is increasingly irrelevant. The Generals are fighting the last war. The Russians are exerting significant influence in Eastern Europe sans military hardware. Meanwhile, the new Gerald Ford class of aircraft carriers are coming in at 13 billion each. You can see one under construction in Newport News. Many military analysts believe the new carriers can be overwhelmed by swarms of cheap drones. Just as Eisenhower warned us, defense policy is dictated by arms manufacturers.
5
Have you heard of the Phalanx system? Laser guided, fires hundreds of rounds per second at a range up to 2000 yards. A drone is no match.
Focus on NATO and Russia under Putin.
Typical Trump. He knows nothing about the subject, blusters and threatens and then claims victory over nothing more than an illusion. Europe has already been upping its monetary and military contributions to NATO for years now.
Just like North Korea. He gave Kim Jong-Un legitimacy and recognition in return for nothing, but Trump claimed "victory."
Now he has new best friends with "great people" and has "wonderful relationships" with Merkel, Macron, the new Mexican president, and, of course, his on-going love affair with Putin.
8
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, it is unlikely that Russia will militarily intervene in Western Europe. It is not in a strong enough economic position to do so. (Crimea and parts of Ukraine are exceptions as a substantial part of the population in these areas speak Russian and belong to the Russian Orthodox Church, blame it on Catherine the Great rather than Putin.) While Europe needed the US until the fall of Communism, it hardly needs the US now. Looking ahead, it is the US that needs Europe to counter China. The go-it alone policy of Mr.Trump and his 'mercantilist' treatment of Europe does not bode well for this endeavor.
8
A very stable genius. So says Trump about himself. Bragging and lying in one simple sentence. Who would believe this could happen? The Queen will be even more excited about Trump’s visit. How often does the Queen meet a STABLE GENIUS ?
5
What happened at NATO, looks like Trump's usual MO, which is no different from his real estate days, and which we all should have expected all along. It is:
- Go into any and every meeting and bluster and threaten everyone
- Insist they give more -- it doesn't matter what has already been agreed
- No matter what they actually then agree to, claim new and greater victory
- Leave, and then tell everyone what a great negotiator you are
- No matter what was actually accomplished, lie and say it was much more
What this man does bears no relationship to any reality, his, ours, or anybody else's. Substance is irrelevant. It starts and stops with what he thinks others think of him. Maybe it's an OK tactic in NY real estate where everybody is a crook anyway, but it won't end well in international relations. Hopefully all the other leaders have this fully figured out, and realize they are dealing with a nincompoop. Heaven help us if not.
13
Using lies and threats, Trump actually made clear what his objective is in demanding NATO members boost defense spending not to 2% of GDP, as agreed (with Obama administration), but now to 4%: he said so in his “press conference”: He expects the spending to go to US armaments manufacturers, in order to gin up the US manufacturing economy. This “pay up or else we’ll walk” is Mafia-esque extortion, just as Trump is using the kidnapped children of defenseless mothers and fathers seeking asylum: do what we say if you ever want to see your children again. But yes, his disdain for NATO, and the European Union, and the Paris Climate Accord, and the United Nations, also pays down whatever debt owed to Putin, in furtherance of Russia’s agenda to break up the Western alliance and destabilize democracies.
14
The whole point of Trump's tirade at the Summit was to deflect from his own personal egregious behavior. Flaying NATO for not paying up means Trump believe all people are like him - try to exhaust the other guy so he agrees to pay more and Trump less. Digging at Merkel for her country buying energy from Russia means Trump sees his Putin obsession as comparable to her relationship with Russian business interests.
Trump justifies all his actions in his own mind by puffing himself up with the belief that he is the only honest guy in the room. All he thinks he is doing is stating what everyone else is thinking (right down to dating his daughter). with this kind of self permission Trump believes he can do anything he wants and gratify his basest instincts.
21
I hate this language in the headline "I believe" I don't care what he believe's. Belief is for fairy tales and pretend. I believe in Unicorns is fine but in Nato? No. It should be I support nato. I back nato. etc makes sense. The concept that he believes, or any of us do, in Nato reinforces the religious rights hold on our politics.
12
Trump believes in trump
Period
Those conned are on the road to extreme disappointment the fast track
1
NATO isn’t a club and its members don’t pay dues. Our allies (who show up without fail every time we start another war, and in Germany’s case host our military bases from which all of our drone activity and military incursions into the Middle East, and who handle military presence in places like North Africa without any assistance from us) may or may not pay 2% of their GDP by 2024, and NATO must continue to exist either way.
Trump, per usual, doesn’t understand how any of this works, and perpetuates his nonsense for his base which understands even less.
23
Willful ignorance is exceptionally dangerous
There are no independent smart people in the room
Never were
Time to VOTE to take the country back
2
Identifying himself as a "stable genius" is quite telling. We can hear the snickering and laughs across the Atlantic.I will be in Europe soon and am quite sure I'll be getting tons of sympathy and hear many jokes.
2020 will be here soon...Adios Trump (that means goodbye)
3
will time arrive, when Trump follower will understand he says things, without any connection to reality?
7
Maybe "stable genius" really means he is a genius in the stable???
2
He is clearly not well, he has illusions of grandeur.
13
In Trumpty's case, it's Delusions of grandeur...
1
Delusions
1
Trump as usual is making up another tall tale. Macon is telling the truth and Trump is lying like a rug. The 2% by 2024 is the agreement. This is to be spent on the countries’ own militaries, it is not part of some shared funding agreement. The U.S. has it’s forces deployed as it sees it’s interests. The U.S. is being partially compensated by the host countries in at least some including Germany. The countries provide multiple bases for the use of the U.S. Trump lies about just about everything. He brags about things he has not done to present himself as the great hero. He asserts the need to do one thing when he wants to achieve the opposite. There is nothing clever about it except his willingness to humiliate himself in order to distract attention or to give his base rather lame excuses for his outrageous behaviors. The world apart from his supporters sees him as an untrustworthy person who clearly cannot think through problems soundly before he does anything. What he says is never trusted unless independently verified and what he says he’ll do cannot be trusted until it’s done.
17
A typical Trump crisis. He claims that American tax payers are being stiffed by foreigners and only can solve the crisis. Well, NATO countries had already pledged to increase spending, so Trump takes credit for someone else's work.
In the meantime, I'll be down at my mailbox waiting for my tax refund.
13
What Trump obviously doesn't understand is that the US military bases in other countries contribute to US defence. If you want to have access to airports, seaports and land bases outside your country to make it easier for your military to respond and operate. It costs money. Your money. These bases are used to project power and nominally assist defending allies sovereignty. If you don't want to project power and influence via military presence then leave all your foreign entanglements and go home. Russia and China will be glad to take your place. None of your allies are impressed by the way. America is diminished by all of his nonsense and lies.
15
Trump is planning on pulling Britain out of EU. He is meeting with anti-EU, pro-Brexiit leaders like Boris Johnson behind the British PM's back. He wants to offer Britain a better trade deal than the EU's if Britain leaves the EU. Trump has a mission to break up the EU. Trump and Putin are very anti-EU. Trump is an unleashed demagogue who's going to isolate the USA from its allies. He's already pulled the USA out of the Paris Climate Accord, reduced renewables and increasing fossil fuel; production in the US. Fracking and drilling is harming your environment. You need to stop him, Europeans can't tell the US president he is not welcome in Europe, but we inwardly really want to!
8
"Trump says he is committed to NATO, despite criticism"
But how can the NATO members and the rest of the world believe him?
Trump flips and flops on just about everything that ever comes out of his mouth or off his twitter. We have seen the Trump lies, false claims and flips on a daily basis for years since he first started to run for president. Many people have personal knowledge of Trumps lack of business and personal honesty.
The people of NATO better take anything Trump says or writes with great deal of skepticism.
9
This is the most Trumpian self-serving headline. His press conference was riddled with lies. He made claims that NATO nations stated were false. Please don't do free PR for Trump.
16
DJT has no ‘policies’, he has impulses. And poorly controlled impulses, at that. That statement is, perhaps, a bit snarky, but is, largely, true.
7
"Russia is waging a proxy war against Ukraine, has forcibly annexed part of that country, has meddled in other nations’ elections, gives crucial support to the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, and stands accused of using a chemical weapon on British soil."
Let's not forget they also murdered over 300 innocent civilians when they shot down that passenger jet with their "Buk" SAM.
17
@trblmkr from NYC: your quote from the article
refers to things russia did and might just as well
illustrate what other imperialists do, doesn't it?
- "wage a proxy war against" a country,
- "meddle in other nations' elections",
- "give crucial support to the [name, dictator] president"
- "stand accused of using a chemical weapon on a [foreign] country's soil.
viet nam, iran, nicaragua, chile,
zaire, iraq, afghanistan, pakistan
and on and on and on …
whatever he says is meaningless. he has no vision, no policy: he simply does what the people funding his campaign tell him to do through his lobbyists, and putin, whose puppet he is. the irrational outbursts are just infotainment for the base.
27
Drama Queen... *Sigh*
11
Ok, you need to go watch some movies and read some history. Our late entry into WWII was honestly tragic. We allowed hundreds of thousands of deaths and a stronger Hitler. We entered when we got attacked, not for a noble purpose of helping Europe or the Jews being slaughtered. At least watch Dunkirk so you can see how our eventual allies were massacred while we waited to enter the war. Picking up some history books may be a better thing for you.
18
Thank you. I’m becoming convinced that 75% of our country has never touched a history book.
1
Although he is supposed to be he President of the United States, it seems he has forgotten the plural noun "we" and instead almost EVERYTHING is "I".
15
That's fine with me. This idiot doesn't represent me in any way, shape or form.
1
Classic 45:
1) open with bold remarks to monopolize the media (which, took the bait ... again);
2) switch positions 180 degrees;
3) and follow with baseless claims of victory.
Uh, how are the talks going with North Korea?
35
.... how are the talks going with North Korea?
A heck of a lot better than the negotiations between the U.S. and Libya when Hillary was the Secretary of State - no U.S. ambassador is died; and a heck of a lot better than the Obama's Iran nuclear agreement.
Dear F1Driver,
What, pray-tell, does "no U.S. ambassador is [sic] died" have to do with "the talks...with North Korea?" Inquiring minds want to know. Thank you.
2
There are no talks with North Korea. They are laughing at Trump.
Good deflections tries, though. It’s a good thing NYT readers are generally too smart to fall for those.
1
Biggest concessions ever! Believe me!
7
Can anyone believe this charlatan chameleon? Unfortunately, millions of his supporters do. They think their ends justify this mean man.
20
Sure anyone can believe. And millions who feel under the burden of this charlatan/chameleon are in that mix. No way we are hearing enough voices in opposition to this megalomaniac.
1
What doesn't Trump claim victory for?
This not Reagan's subtle desk card "There's no end to what you can accomplish, provided you don't care who gets the credit."
That acknowledged Reagan as the front man of POTUS--a huge operation.
Rather Trump thinks he gets credit for non existent events and counter productive spectacles.
It is certainly not Truman's "The buck stops here"--unless it's literally bucks.
And so as he undermines NATO (Europe is much less assured of USA aid if Russians invade!)--expecting a Putin reward--he says NATO is important.
And that HE strengthened it.
He camouflages his anti-NATO remarks with American's pay too much--appealing to simple minded Trumpies.
But how much is too much--to defend the Western world (Europe is just the front line)--against a thugocracy.
And would he have every European country--including the ex--USSR puppets--develop nuclear capabilities?
Or even military might close to the USA"s?
4
Hmmmmmm. The French president and President Trump tell different stories. Who to believe...?
21
When a US president declares himself as a true genius.
Only official communication presented the information, no change to the goal of 2% in 2024!
Now it's difficult to discerne who's make propaganda or disinformation, Russia president or US president.
Probably both.
1
Macron dit la verite. Sorry, no accents on an English keyboard.
By the process of elimination, I'd say anyone but Trump.
The same charade over and over again. Nothing Trump does can be taken seriously. The world leaders are seeing right through it and I hope the American people are getting tired of it.
18
"... the United States would go it alone."
Would?
C'mon Mr. President. An Isolationist should be more assertive.
"The United States will go it alone."
That's more like it. Now get out there and burn some more bridges.
Will do Steve. Will do.
13
Never in American history has an elderly individual with decades of financial ties to any enemy nation, an individual with contempt for speaking the truth, or listening to American intelligence leaders, never in our history has such a person harmed our standings with our faithful allies, and hold such affection for a Russian mentor.
17
and when Putin invades Bulgaria and the Baltics, members of NATO, where will Trump be? Backing a failed state that shoots down commercial airlines?
13
I do not believe a single word that comes out of this man’s mouth. I also know that I am in the majority.
America, will that ever matter?
Nov. 6, 2018?
Please.
29
trumps only commitment is to himself.
7
And the Russians.
So while he undermines NATO, he says he'll stay in it. They say face to face, he's all right but that's because he's a coward. He can't tolerate confrontation. That's why he can't fire people in person.
Trump always lies and he's lying about Germany's dependence on Russia.
Only about 10 percent of the energy produced in Germany came from burning natural gas in 2017. (It aims to have 80 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050.)
Russia provides 40 percent of the fuel that generates 10 percent of Germany’s power, that’s 4 percent of the country’s energy production
11
President Obama had many victories--health care, ridding the world of Osama bin Laden, vastly improving the economy. He was modest and sober every time. Still the Republicans went ballistic claiming that he was taking "victory laps" for his achievements.
Two years into Trump's administration, we have Trump taking daily victory laps--except that they are utterly fake! |Here is the latest one. He Trump-ets his "victory" at NATO and it is a lie. Everything for him is "the greatest, the biggest, huge."
So where are the Republicans accusing this president of taking "victory laps?" Utterly absent. The disdain they had for Obama's true and lasting achievements are matched by the over-the-top sycophancy the accord to Trump's utterly fake achievements. It is sickening. Trump cheapens his office every day,
74
He actually thinks he can make bold faced lies about NATO member agreements, and that no other nation's leader will call his out as a liar?
11
Relax, no one cares what this man says anyway. Everyone knows it is just an act and there is no serious thinking behind it. Next week he will say something else, equally uninteresting and without consequence
9
Dear Rest of NATO:
Don’t believe a word he says.
Sincerely, Most of America.
23
Fox “news” is saying Trump has liberated Europe. Declares Friday the 13th as Stable Genius Day, a military parade will follow.
8
Any who paid close attention to Emperor Trump's speech, and who also read Justin du Rivage's unique and fabulously insightful "Revolution Against Empire" will understand the import of what 'deal' Trump is actually trying to execute --- being crowned as the first in history Global Emperor, who deserves Herculean credit putting the whole world together (in his dreams, as a "legend in his own mind") --- but what he is merely attempting is what George III, the Fuhrer, and other Empires tried.
"I am certainly not the first historian to connect the history of Britain to its American colonies. Nearly a century ago, Charles Andrews insisted that the American Revolution was a global event, and a few historians since then have followed in his footsteps.58 [snip]
Stitching American and British history back together allows us to set the American Revolution in the context of world history. Although it has sometimes appeared to lack the éclat of either the French or Russian Revolutions,59 it was clear to observers at the time that the American Revolution was both a radical event and of far more than local importance."
du Rivage, Justin. Revolution Against Empire: Taxes, Politics, and the Origins of American Independence (Kindle Locations 583-593). Yale University Press. Kindle Edition.
The up-side of Emperor Trump, is that while dead-wrong, he may ironically cause 'we the people' to complete an American peaceful Political "Revolution Against Empire" building Global Democracy!
4
As a US citizen, I trust Macron more than Trump. For all of Trump's bluster, NATO did nothing more than confirm the 2 percent commitment by 2024. Never mind the details, Trump has spun up the media to publish headlines saying he challenged NATO on contribute more. Trump knows that large swaths of this base only read the headlines and Fox News captions; details don't matter.
Like any billionaire, Trump focuses only on the money as the litmus test for alliance instead of building the emotional ties and sense of trust that will be of paramount important in a time of crisis. No matter how much money countries are contributing or not contributing to the alliance, if they don't trust the strength and resolve of those in the alliance, money won't make a difference.
15
" though it was at odds with some of his own statements."
The Europeans don't believe a word Trump says. Neither would I. He says one thing, does another, and then pivots a week later. No policy, no plans, just a reality show for his base.
16
I'm glad the other NATO leaders at the summit had class and simply let Trump do his chest pounding.
It reminded me of being at family gatherings where the adults decide to ignore the youngster who is throwing a hissy fit.
Unfortunately, in this case the U.S. was diminished by the immature posturing of Trump.
8
Yesterday, our allies cast a Vote of No Confidence in Trump.
In November, millions of us will cast that same vote.
16
I wonder if NATO should the hard decision and kick the US out of NATO, and US troops, ships and aircraft out of Europe. This would force Europe to act with greater force and commitment against Russia, and be able to tell the US to shut up and defend itself from its own borders. In the end, NATO is the US front line and first line of defense.
3
The point has been made, repeatedly through past administrations, that quite a few other countries are not paying what they have agreed to pay, for their own defense. I suppose The United States could take a couple steps back and say, "Not our problem," and let a few of them fall next time there is a threat from what's some say is our enemy, but others call Trump's buddies (at least here in the NYT).
If a butterfly's wings can metaphorically cause a hurricane on the other side of the planet, what's the blowback from a Hellfire missile fired from a Predator drone at 10,000ft...?
To be clear, US military spending is by definition a US domestic matter, and one that spills over into quite a mess internationally. Europe didn't ask for the millions of refugees that the US unleashed as a result of its multiple unnecesary declared and undeclared wars in the middle east and elsewhere. Nor does the rest of the world have a say on how foolish the USA gets to be on domestic matters, military or otherwise.
So Americans hectoring the world and specifically NATO partners on military spending only demonstrates one thing : that foolish US policy isn't a bug but is a feature underpinned and supported by enough US voters incapable of appreciating the cause and effects of the physical laws of thermodynamics.
So we can only hope you're all enjoying Trump's closed feedback loop. All that the rest of the world hears is noise, and if there is one thing Macron has made clear a the NATO summit is that Trump has been tuned out.
9
I think it is about time that the Congress start to question Donald Trump's sanity, he lives in a world that he is the center of his universe, where reality never enters into the equation.
11
Next 'grand victory' Trump will declare, that NO other US president has even come close to, after he meets with Putin 'IN PRIVATE', will be as rosy as it was with Kim Jong Un.
That Putin has acknowledged his overreach in Ukraine, had had no meddling with the 2016 US elections, is okay with NATO, has no territorial claims on any previous Soviet Republics,..
All economic restrictions will be removed and no provocative military exercises will be allowed in Eastern Europe...
2
Trump tells lies about what occurred at behind the scenes NATO meetings and we need president Macron of France to to verify that for us. Nobody knows what Trump and Putin will discuss in their upcoming closed session meeting but one thing we can be absolutely sure of, and that is we cannot believe anything Trump tells us about it.
9
Our American embassy in Great Britain told Americans to keep a low profile.
There are no words to express the humiliation I feel as an American.
10
To quote Goethe: "All lies it was, a phantom and a cheat; / But it seemed like wine and tasted sweet." (Faust, Part I)
17
Trump is an embarrassment. It is embarrassing to have this person travel around the world and speak about the USA.
2020 can’t come soon enough.
Vote this person out of office.
He is a racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, person who has fascist tendencies.
98
Please, give us a few examples of how he's " racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, person who has fascist tendencies." And please, try to use facts.
Listen to his speech when he decided to run for president. It was laced with racist and xenophobic rhetoric. Listen to his Bush tape about how he thinks about women. If I have to explain this to you then you don't get it.
1
"He was vocal on Twitter, but Mr. Trump appeared to be in no rush to confront European allies in person Thursday morning." Because he is a bully and a coward. He always backs down in person.
41
Melpo, yes, you are probably correct --- but if we are smart enough to use just the correct, effective, and precise "Competitive Strategy" [Michael Porter HBS] the principled populist-progessive left (younger majority) can 'use' and leverage Emperor Trump as a uniquely effective target to fire at in a; loud, public, sustained, 'in the streets', but totally non-violent "Shout (not shot) heard round the world" to ignite an essential people's peaceful and patriotic continuation and completion of our American Political/economic and social(ist) "Revolution Against Empire" for our selves and all other 'citizens of our world'.
As Pat may have shouted if Tom had taken the Paine to edit his rallying cry:
"Give Us Liberty from Empire or Give Us Death"
1
There's a definite pattern here. Make an outrageous allegation that is factually true at it's most basic level, such as the EU countries share of NATO spending not being equal to the US. But of course that isn't how he stated it.
He vaguely stated that the Europeans are not "paying their fair share". What defines a fair share is open to interpretations which will of course vary.
These vague statements also do not account for the circumstances under which his predecessors made decisions he now questions, either for strategic reasons or other outcomes they decided were in the country's best interests.
This strategy gives him the cover to reduce an extremely complicated issue
to a talking point he can feed to his base. Others are forced to react to his statement or accusation and since there little or no opportunity given to redress the reasoning, he in essence extracts the appearance of a concession that he and his low information base can call "winning".
It's like a three person chess game where the third person who knows nothing about the game does nothing but question the moves of the others.
18
How about we match NATO countries humanitarian aid as percent of GDP.
29
The US is the largest provider of humanitarian aid, regardless of the anti-Trump headlines.
I would pose the question differently. How about we match the the spending on health care to its own citizens?
2
From Madeleine Albright's excellent new book, *Fascism: A Warning*:
"...I expressed alarm — as I often do — at those now in office who think the United States can get by without help from friends.... The idea that the United States is a nation of chumps that has spent the past fifty years getting ripped off by wily foreigners is absurd."
And she quotes George W. Bush:
"We know that free governments are the only way to ensure that the strong are just and the weak are valued. And we know that when we lose sight of our ideals, it is not democracy that has failed. It is the failure of those charged with preserving and protecting democracy."
Dr. Albright (our Sec'y of State for four years under President Clinton and now a professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service) sounds the alarm about incipient fascism in the U.S. She cites warning symptoms -- gleaned from the practices of such famous fascists as Mussolini, Hitler, and Milosevic -- and we have them.
The cure, of course (partial, maybe, because we're already sickened by the affliction) lies ahead, Nov. 6, 2018.
35
There has been so much handwringing over Trump and why he's doing what he's doing with NATO, tariffs, etc. He's narcissistic, he's crazy, he's authoritarian, he's stupid. All of this assumes he's out of control but still fundamentally loyal to the United States. The opposite is unthinkable, right?
But, if you start with the assumption that Donald Trump is a Russian agent all of his behavior makes sense. Perhaps we should go with the simplest reason for the way Trump acts.
43
At the very least Trump is beholden to Putin and is doing the damage to the US and its allies that Russia has instructed him to do. Imagine if Hillary Clinton were president and did even 1% of what Trump is doing, it is without a doubt that Congress would be calling hearings on treason and impeachment.
7
Bravo for President Trump finally standing up for the United States! Trump is running the United States like a company -- finally paying attention to the bottom line -- and whether the country is earning a profit. The United States has been running a trade deficit since 1980, and has transferred 800,000 of our factories overseas. Prior policies were placing our standing of living on track for poverty. Trump understands that a high standard of living requires running a trade surplus, a' la the Japanese, Germans, and Chinese. God bless this man.
1
Elliott:
You are aware that Trump has bankrupted his companies SIX times, right?
He did that FOUR times running money machines ... er ... casinos. (How do you go bankrupt running a company that takes a few percent of every dollar that is wagered on the premises? That takes REAL talent.)
Now he is well on his way to bankrupting the US itself by adding TRILLIONS to the deficit, as well as causing the loss of many jobs and the likely bankrupting of many companies by way of trade wars with many different nations.
You think he is a winner.
I think he will be remembered as the absolute worst president this country has had from 1789 to now.
Time will decide which one of us is correct.
8
I wonder where his hats are made?
1
Yes we poor Americans still driving on dirt roads, drawing water from wells and streams, washing our clothes with water heated in big pots over wood fires, and relying upon newspapers for news about the world beyond our isolated villages. Meanwhile the countries with who we have trade deficits are all modern and well developed.
Trump thrives on pretending and strutting on a stage, and what entertains is all that that he does. Our country is still the wealthiest and most powerful country because we never bought into any of Trump’s ideas. He is rich because he was born rich and he has never bothered to achieve much of anything on his own because he never had the need. He is clever but he does not consider much when he does anything.
I am so glad that there were grown-ups in the room to hold this important alliance together. Trump was not one of them. He managed to get in the "portrait" photograph front and center, he flashed his 'Miss Universe' smile when he thought cameras were on him. Even his "wrap-up" remarks were frightening. He is delusional. He perceives himself as the leader of NATO as well as the U.S., and thinks HE is the one who sets policy and dictates the financing. That was apparent when he repeated and ignorantly stated that the other countries "owe the US" money. Like all children, he is totally wrapped up in himself. Unlike other children, he is unlikely to grow up. I can't even find words most days that can alleviate the despair I feel that nothing is being done to curb the damage this man is doing not only to us but to the whole world. We should all remember Pandora's Box...the ills of the world were unleashed due to greed and envy. So here we are.
66
Is there any news value in anything Trump says? He regularly lies and/or contradicts himself within hours, rendering his statements non-news. We've seen far to many of these mere exercises in self-promotion.
13
Apologies for a typo. I know the difference between "to" and "too."
7
The tens of thousands of soldiers in Europe did not stop the Russians from manipulating our democratic process, and potentially altering world power dynamics for decades. On the other hand, NATO is great for General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin.
2
Just because European countries are more efficient and less wasteful in their military spending than we are, even small countries like Denmark and Norway who spend less than 2% provide more of a "bang" per buck or Kroner that the US with it's inflated and wasteful 3.5% - not even half going towards NATO - making the US a sub 2% of GDP military contributor to NATO itself. Look at what one of America's largest military industrial companies has to say for Denmark and Norway: https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2017/10/benchmark-blinding-us-nato-memb...
Look at all of the wasted tax payer money overpriced boondoggle weapons, inefficiencies and thousand dollar hammers.
I hope Europe invests their additional GDP in weaponry designed and built within Europe. I think trump believes he is drumming up military business for the American industrial complex - and he should not be allowed to get away with it. Besides, trump is an obvious traitor in NATO's midst serving Putin while the US is captive to China's hold on two trillion in US treasury debt. Germany is no longer hostage to Russia's energy supply as their energy mix is now in the single digit percentage wise.
6
Big surprise: Trump claims victory telling us that he got the leaders of NATO countries to raise their military commitments. After signing a resolution reaffirming prior commitments and contradicting his statements. Trump doesn’t care; all he cares about is being able to claim victory. As we know all too well, appearances, not the truth, are what matters to him.
A reader from the Netherlands puts it well, pointing out that democratic leaders would need to go back to their parliaments to pass bills to change levels of spending. So the idea that NATO leaders would suddenly commit to higher levels of spending, without long months of negotiations leading up to this, is beyond idiotic. And, as with his lack of preparation before his big nothingburger meeting with Kim Jung-un (again he claimed victory, we are all safe now, even though we got absolutely nothing from Kim), it shows that Trump completely lacks the capacity to be a leader.
Emmanuel Macron calls out Trump, saying what we know to be true, that Trump got nothing from other NATO countries except their disgust, and we are cheering for Macron. He’s honest; he believes in alliances with friendly nations; he believes in democracy. At least when Obama was president, we were all united behind our American president at these NATO meetings.
32
Either the man genuinely doesn't know anything about anything and doesn't care, content to be a hood ornament that talks, or he's deliberately playing some kind of crazy-making game. Throws stuff out there to be provocative.
A whole new perspective on his role on 'The Apprentice' and his Trump Boardroom evaluations. Did he actually know what was happening on the show, or did they just hand him a script for taping the scenes? And then cut the bits when he went off-script or got it wrong?
Do we need a screenwriter in the Executive Office?
Why is the headline always "Trump says...." or, in this case, "affIrms"? That's not the story. The headline should more like "Trump does another 180 in less than 24 hours with self-serving drivel." The bi-line would be: "Trump lies again repeatedly, claims credit that he doesn't deserve. Again"
13
I wonder how that went, the conversation about who's turn it was to call Trump out on his lies after the NATO meetings wrapped up. I imagine Trudeau said, “I took the heat after the G7 meeting, so it's not my turn!” Macron said, “I threw him a military parade, he liked that, so I’ll do it...this time”
8
I'm surprised the greatest con man in the world fell for the old 'the check is in the mail' bit.
8
What an embarrassment to the United States.
12
tRump thinks he invented conflict resolution. Offer to solve a problem. Focus on a different irrelevant problem. Throw a tantrum. Fake resolution of irrelevant problem. Claim victory (lie). Cash check.
6
A man whose personal wealth was fueled primarily through loans from Russian oligarchs berates Germany for buying energy from Russia. (And lies about the amount.)
A man whose clothing line (along with his daughter’s) are manufactured overseas berates U.S. companies for doing the same.
A man who is a five-time draft dodger demands the honor of a military parade.
A man who had defiled the office of the presidency with personal attacks and crass insults of political opponents whines about a “lack of civility” when his opponents respond in kind.
With Donald Trump, it’s always the same: “Do as I say, not as I do.”
==
23
And at the very same time, selling Alaska back to Russia by way of China.
In November, as President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping looked on, Alaska’s trade delegation signed an agreement with China-owned Sinopec and Bank of China. For a natural gas pipeline.
While China puts a 25% tariff on Alaska seafood exports in Trump's trade war.
Short of Nero who thought he was the best singer ever, there has never been a leader who thinks so highly of himself, and with absolutely no basis in fact.
His mania for giving himself credit, his distortion of facts, his total disregard for what others think, his manipulation of numbers is so continuous and so deep that they leave people aghast. He is like a circus freak that makes people look in disbelief. We gaze at him with a mixture of repulsion and perverse curiosity.
17
Trump is picking the pockets of his of low-information base at home, while he focuses and distracts them with claims of imaginary enemies abroad, including our strongest allies since WWII, who purportedly are out to get us. At the same time, he is ignoring or sucking up to our real enemies, whose intention to destabilize our alliances is an open secret, and subversion our democracy by interfering in our election is an established fact!
7
In Donald Trump's addled mind, it is ALWAYS about him.
To those who have been saying "give him a little time" I say:
He has now had 18 months. He is just as uninformed and as unhinged as he was the day he swore an oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." He is not "draning the swamp" but making the swamp even more obnoxious. He is messing up our business relationships and our alliances around the world.
How much more time do YOU need to conclude that Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our country?
Vote on November 6, 2018 for Democrats, so that the Legislature will perform their constitutionally mandated duty to oversee the Executive Branch.
Oh, yeah, ... SHOW US YOUR TAX RETURNS, Donnie.
11
At what point do Trump's ramblings cease to become news? The media can point out his lies all they like but they still report them. The standard argument that "he's the President so what he says is news" is wearing thin. All you are doing is reporting lies.
3
To watch a president sit at a table with other world leaders and look for compliments was tragic and embarrassing. trump is a thug and a frontman for a group of extremely wealthy people who believe the law doesn’t apply to them. Your rights are slipping away while he and his cronies fly the world in luxury. And just as embarrassing are Kelly and Pompeo as they telegraph their own conflicted, ill informed and amateurish thinking to the world. Wow.
5
Trump is being stingy handing out his roses. He's like a besotted schoolgirl saving the entire bouquet for his true one-an-only BFF - Vladimir Putin. Will the presentation take place in their private one-on-one? Will Donald kiss and tell? The world is watching. The ratings huge. MAGA!!!
5
Delusional as usual, Trump lays claim for the increase in military spending Nato members had pledged prior to his visit. He is the epitome of the 'ugly American' when abroad. He is crude, lacks sensitivity acuity as well as social graces. Diplomacy is not a word in his limited vocabulary. Pathological liars believe their own lies and Trump is adept at that. His daily twitter mantra of untruths is yet another symptom of a delusion disorder.
If he wasn't so dangerous to our democracy and to our standing in the world stage, he would just be another pathetic braggadocio former reality show host under the false belief that firing underlings make him a great leader. In his psychoneurotic state of mind, does he think that insulting world leaders make him a powerful genius?
One has to wonder what Putin has on Trump. Will he morph into the Baby Trump Ballon the Brits plan to fly tomorrow and again become Putin's lapdog? We shall wait and see...
3
Riiiiiiiight.
That's pretty much all Trump's utterances deserve.
4
What a disgusting display of bullying behavior.
11
Whenever you read or hear "Trump said" it is overwhelming likely a lie.
4
Yeah yeah. You're the great negotiator, you won another "great" victory with no details, only the best people. Insulting our allies and embarrassing our country, again, was all part of your "great" strategy. We know the routine by now.
8
Passive-Agressive personality disorder at work.
3
It is the most primitive tactic in business to enter a meeting with an aggressive stance, to keep others off balance, and then to back off. No, worst POTUS ever, NATO is not stronger than it was 2 days ago. NATO is weakened by an unstable POTUS who cannot be trusted from one moment to the next. No Mr Trump, your empty bluster, your proven lack of any understanding of the facts, and your flip-flop of American positioning within NATO merely encourages Putin, who will play you like a fiddle such as Kim Jong Un did.
5
I can only say looking at pictures of our smug president and reading yet again what a winner he is that I am exhausted by this boorish man and that I would pay a small fortune for him to just go away.
23
I wholeheartedly agree. I’d ante up for that myself.
1
The headline for trump's Antagonism 2018 Tour should be from Mike Pompeo, "it went as badly as it could have gone." Congress, everyday I plead for you to come out of your coma and reign this man in. Everyday you keep snoring away like there's no problem. Wake Up!
6
What, we have a congress, who knew.
1
All Trump has done at the NATO conference is make a fool of himself with his crude "diplomacy" and 180 degree statements. I don't think there's anyone who met with him who thinks he is a sane person.
5
Yet another appalling performance by trump.To listen to this idiot's press conference,to hear his grandiose lies about everything, just leads me once again to ask why,after Lonny's bogus medical exam, no one is insisting trump be given another by a reputable doctor.Surely,even the complicit GOP,would be forced to remove this unfit president via the 25th amendment if such an exam were done.
2
The United States was not being treated fairly. Then nothing substantive changed. Now. The United States is being treated fairly. Miraculous! All the president needs to do is to make a spectacular fool of himself and the whole country.
6
Oh my gosh, this guy is making a mockery of the US. He is an abuser. He gets great joy in slapping around our allies, then says oh I love you and I support you. while spouting his latest crop of lies. When is the Republican leadership going to stand up and say enough? When are Kelly, Pompeo, and the rest going to say we're not going to take it any more?
I just have no words left.
7
Does anyone believe anything 'trump says?
5
When will world leaders learn that Trump is playing by different rules and that they need to do the same? What is gained by allowing Trump to lie, bluster and intimidate and make them look like patsies. He needs to be challenged directly, promptly and to his face. He is, after all, a coward in the final analysis.
4
The saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", does not apply here. It's more like, "don't break it just because you can." Everything was going along fairly well compared to the past 100 years of world history, notwithstanding Syria. And then Trump came along playing the Devil's game. His introductory remarks should begin with "Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm a man of wealth and taste."
4
I believe the Eastern European Countries should pay the highest percentage given it is them that we are protecting. Either pay up or return to Russian dominance.
1
Then you should be thrilled to know that Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia have already met or will meet the 2 percent (some spend more) spending commitment this year.
The rest of NATO countries except the US has increased their spending.
1
This is not a protection racket, and the U.S. should not treat it like we are the Mob collector. The U.S. benefits a lot from these countries staying in our sphere. We should not threaten them. We should help them achieve prosperity.
1
The American right lost/is losing its mind with lies and conspiracy theories over a few texts by two FBI agents who, like most of world, didn't think a "trump presidency" was a very good idea.
I live for the day Trump's out of office and international leaders let known their texts about Trump, their tape recordings featuring trump, and rush to be the first to hold "tell all" press conferences exquisitely detailing the ignorance, incompetence, chaos, questioning the state of his mental health, and some much-deserved jokes that will mock him mercilessly: it's the one thing Trump can't bear but has done everything he can to earn it.
4
Dear Mr. President,
If you want to do something truly surprising and bold, visit Salisbury while in England. That would be worthy of the office you occupy.
1
Well, Trump's head-scratching change of tone got him what he wanted.
Not concessions.
Not alliances.
Attention!
Yes, what Trump most wants is not for the United States and certainly not for NATO. He wants all eyes and ears trained on him and him alone. It is pretty striking how, for all the participants in the summit, for all the individuals he has yet to meet with on this trip, Trump has managed to keep dominating the headlines. At the end of the day, that's what it's about to him.
11
What exactly is wrong about about calling the member NATO nations to be accountable for their own defense? Or do Democrats, liberals and progressives actually prefer that the U.S. continue to be the cash cow for protecting these nations? After all, the money to do so does come from the wallets of American taxpayers.
2
Nothing wrong with expecting them to adhere to what they agreed to several years ago, before Trump came on the scene. The unnecessary public brow-beating may please his base back home, but will only make it harder for those leaders to get public approval for those increases. They answer to taxpayers too.
5
"All's Quiet on the Western Front" seems to be out-of-print at the moment
3
I hope Europe understands that no one can rely on Donald Trump. What he says today means nothing for tomorrow. The Soviet Union inserted thousands of Russians into Baltic states and Poland, and those Russians are now claiming discrimination, because they are force to speak the native language among other grievances. The EU needs to put as many troops and hardware at vulnerable borders as they can; because there's no guarantee that Trump will come to their aid if Putin starts infiltrating unmarked troops, calling them 'rebels' as he's already done in Georgia and Ukraine.
4