Earlier today President Donald Trump visited the newly unveiled NATO headquarters in Brussels, where he gave a much anticipated speech.
During his remarks, Trump pointed out 23 of 28 NATO member countries aren't paying the required two percent of GDP to sustain the alliance and took a shot at the cost of the fancy new building they were all standing in.
"The NATO of the future must include a great focus on terrorism and immigration, as well as threats from Russia and on NATO’s eastern and southern borders. These grave security concerns are the same reason that I have been very, very direct with Secretary Stoltenberg and members of the Alliance in saying that NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations, for 23 of the 28 member nations are still not paying what they should be paying and what they’re supposed to be paying for their defense," Trump said.
"This is not fair to the people and taxpayers of the United States. And many of these nations owe massive amounts of money from past years and not paying in those past years. Over the last eight years, the United States spent more on defense than all other NATO countries combined. If all NATO members had spent just 2 percent of their GDP on defense last year, we would have had another $119 billion for our collective defense and for the financing of additional NATO reserves," he continued.
The reaction from leaders of slacking countries was unimpressed (and quite amusing to Americans who have been paying their share for years), to say the least.
Just look at the reaction of NATO members as Trump said directly to their faces that 23 out of 28 nations aren't contributing enough. pic.twitter.com/wG3ppeRI97
— Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) May 25, 2017
The looks on NATO leaders' faces as Trump trashes them feet away. pic.twitter.com/7M6HwRMDcM
— Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) May 25, 2017
Note the expressions of NATO leaders as Trump gives his speech and argues that members need to pay their fair https://t.co/v8k7nXXD7P#NATO pic.twitter.com/tbqrTsyaQN
— Rehana khatun (@rehanakhatun420) May 25, 2017
H/T Twitchy
Join the conversation as a VIP Member