Donald Trump has once again vowed not to defend any NATO country that does not meet defense spending targets in the event he returns to the White House. The assertion, aired at a rally in South Carolina Wednesday, served as a double-down on a statement he delivered days earlier.
There, the 77-year-old - who notably refused to criticize Russian President Vladimir Putin during his 2016 campaign - said he would urge Russia to 'do whatever the hell they want' if it attacked a member of the alliance that didn't pay their fair share. The statement seemed to elicit a response from the Russian leader himself, who on Wednesday praised Joe Biden as a more reliable - and 'predictable' - alternative.
This time around, the famously mercurial GOP frontrunner was slightly less divisive with his rhetoric, but still stuck to his guns. He also mentioned Putin's now widely seen interview - simply stating the dictator 'was not a fan' of his. 'Look, if they're not going to pay, we're not going to protect. OK?' he told an animated crowd in North Charleston of NATO nations not carrying their weight - this time omitting the statement that suggested he could care less if Russia attacked them. He went on to mention Joe Biden, who has relentlessly pushed for a foreign aid package to assist Ukraine as it fights Russia's ongoing invasion.
