President Donald Trump likened NATO’s offer to support the United States in the Iran war to the concept of campaign contributions after winning an election, as he spoke at a Turning Point USA event on Friday night.
“After I won, people came up to me, ‘Sir, I’d like to make a major contribution to your campaign.’ And I said, ‘Listen, just so you understand, campaign contributions after I won don’t count.’ And NATO, after we won, that doesn’t count either, it’s the same thing,” Trump said.
Earlier, on Friday morning, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had a call with NATO allies in which he said the alliance offered to help the U.S. with the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
“Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!” Trump wrote.
French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leaders of two key NATO nations, announced on Friday afternoon that their countries would be leading a “strictly defensive” multinational fleet to the Strait of Hormuz, where they would help ensure the safe transit of vessels. The announcement came weeks after Trump announced a similar initiative and urged both the United Kingdom and France to join his coalition.
“I received a call from NATO asking if we would like some help. Thank you very much, NATO. And I told them I would have liked your help two months ago, but now I really don’t want your help anymore, because they were absolutely useless when we needed them,” Trump said on Friday evening.
Trump has had a turbulent relationship with NATO allies throughout his second term as president, souring on the group over issues such as their lack of support for the Iran war, defense spending contributions, and his desire for Greenland. Despite meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in early April at the White House, Trump has maintained his criticism of the alliance this week.
“If NATO teaches us any one thing — and I hope you all watched, because they weren’t there for us — if it teaches us any one thing: We have to rely on ourselves. We can’t rely on outside countries and outside sources. So do not listen to the craven and cowardly voices who tell you America needs to think small or to shrink from our duties or potential,” Trump said.
FRANCE AND UK LEAD ‘DEFENSIVE’ MISSION IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ TO PROTECT SHIPPING
Trump gave the Friday night speech at a Turning Point USA voter rally event in Phoenix.
His comments and celebration of the opening of the Strait of Hormuz in the speech came before the speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, announced that Iran would be closing off the full opening of the strait.
