WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden blasted former President Donald Trump on Tuesday for comments he made over the weekend, saying that he would encourage Russia to attack NATO allies that he thought had not spent enough on defense.
Speaking from the White House, Biden called Trump’s comments dangerous and said he was putting lives at risk while labeling the former president’s remarks as “un-American”.
“The former president has sent a dangerous, and shockingly, frankly, un-American signal to the world. Just a few days ago, Trump gave an invitation to Putin to invade some of our NATO allies,” Biden said.
“He said if an ally didn’t spend enough money on defense, he would encourage Russia to, ‘Do whatever the hell it wants.’ Can you imagine? A former president of the United States said that,” Biden continued. “The whole world heard it, and the worst thing is he means it. No other president in history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. Let me say this as clearly as I can: I never will. For God’s sake, it’s shameful, it’s dangerous, it’s un-American.”
The President said Trump views NATO as a “burden” and “doesn’t see the alliance that protects America and the world.”
“As long as I’m president, if Putin attacks a NATO ally, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory,” Biden said.
Trump made the remarks Saturday in South Carolina, saying Russia could “do whatever the hell they want” if it attacked a NATO ally that did not pay enough for defenses.
“NATO was busted until I came along,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Everybody’s gonna pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.”
“No, I would not protect you,” Trump recalled telling that president. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
The White House responded to Trump’s comments, calling them “appalling and unhinged” and touted President Joe Biden’s efforts to strengthen the alliance.
“President Biden has restored our alliances and made us stronger in the world because he knows every commander-in-chief’s first responsibility is to keep the American people safe and hold true to the values that unite us. … Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged – and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home,” White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.
Trump has faced backlash since his comments on Saturday. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., said Monday that U.S. “credibility is at stake”
“This year is the 75th anniversary of NATO,” Brown said in an interview with NBC News Monday night. “And I think we have a responsibility to uphold those alliances. U.S. credibility is at stake with each of our alliances, and U.S. leadership is still needed, wanted, and watched.”
