As US allies reel from Donald Trump’s weekend comments encouraging Russia to attack European allies if they don’t meet NATO budget contribution goals, multiple former Trump advisers warn in my upcoming book that the former president will seek to formally withdraw the US from the NATO alliance if he wins a second term.
But the real problem is a Commander in Chief who doesn’t want to fulfill treaty obligations. Congress doesn’t have a mechanism to force that, just impeachment which we’ve seen fail already. So while we can’t officially leave, we aren’t going to be participating under him either.
Sure, with Kaine’s and Rubio’s bill from December, it now requires Senate approval. But all Trump really needs to do is to say that the US won’t help its allies, which is what he’s doing. And since NATO is based on deterrence, he’s effective undermining trust in NATO as an alliance. The winners are Russia and China.
So what happens if he just says not to go help NATO if article 5 is invoked (if that’s the one where a member is attacked)? Doing nothing seems more up his alley anyways, pulling out requires more work so he’ll probably just say no if it’s needed.
I got no idea if the US armed forces can deploy without the president’s approval in some way or if Trump says no go then it’s completely off. Been wondering as a NATO neighbor who’s country he called a security threat his first term.
It requires approval of the US congress.
Don’t look now but they give him pretty much everything he wants.
They need to get past the Senate filibuster.
But the real problem is a Commander in Chief who doesn’t want to fulfill treaty obligations. Congress doesn’t have a mechanism to force that, just impeachment which we’ve seen fail already. So while we can’t officially leave, we aren’t going to be participating under him either.
Implying checks and balances will apply to “only 1 day” dictator Don.
Sure, with Kaine’s and Rubio’s bill from December, it now requires Senate approval. But all Trump really needs to do is to say that the US won’t help its allies, which is what he’s doing. And since NATO is based on deterrence, he’s effective undermining trust in NATO as an alliance. The winners are Russia and China.
So what happens if he just says not to go help NATO if article 5 is invoked (if that’s the one where a member is attacked)? Doing nothing seems more up his alley anyways, pulling out requires more work so he’ll probably just say no if it’s needed.
I got no idea if the US armed forces can deploy without the president’s approval in some way or if Trump says no go then it’s completely off. Been wondering as a NATO neighbor who’s country he called a security threat his first term.