Former CIA analyst Fred Fleitz told Newsmax the biggest mistake of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., that concluded Thursday was an effort to make the military alliance "Trump-proof."
Former President Donald Trump had a tense and combative relationship with NATO during his presidency because many of the nations weren't living up to the agreement of targeting at least 2% of their gross domestic product to defense spending.
There are also fears that should Trump win in November, aid to Ukraine will decline and he will be more amenable to Russian demands to a peace agreement. Trump has said if he wins, he will negotiate an end to the war before his inauguration in January.
"What's the term we've been hearing all week long about this summit?" Fleitz asked on "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE." "'Trump-proofing,' finding ways to 'Trump-proof' NATO so aid to Ukraine will go forward even if Trump wins the election.
"And this means pushing certain NATO military aid that will not be under the control of American commanders, a long-term commitment of aid, which is never going to happen. This is so foolish, because Trump has been critical of NATO as it is.
"And here we have these globalist European officials trying to politicize NATO before he assumes the Oval Office. This isn't going to come out well," he said.
"Trump is already going to be really tough with NATO, and it seems to me they should be staying out of U.S. politics and U.S. elections."
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, who appeared with Fleitz, said Trump tried to put NATO on a path of recovering financially and strategically, but that has unraveled under President Joe Biden.
The NATO leaders "putting on nice uniforms or nice suits, parading around with flags doesn't impress anybody outside the little circle of neocons and neolibs who are pretending to actually be soldiers," Shaffer said.
"This is not acceptable. We have to find a path back to strength.
"That strength is going to be created by Donald Trump, and they know it. They don't like it," he continued.
"It's like your father showing up at home after you've been acting out. Dad's about to show up and things are about to get real."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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