U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told Newsmax that the defense alliance is "stronger" since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.
Whitaker told "America Right Now" on Saturday that "There's no doubt that Donald Trump has made NATO stronger. He has made sure that our transatlantic defense and our allies are contributing and boosting their capabilities and their resilience and investing in their own defense."
The ambassador said Trump is solely responsible for pushing NATO allies in Europe to resume funding for their own defense. "Many European countries took a peace dividend where they took their foot off the gas, stopped investing in their military, stopped investing in border security," Whitaker said.
Whitaker said the process has not been easy. "It's been hard for them to ramp back up," he noted. "But with President Trump reelected and sworn in in January, you've seen a renewed focus on this exact issue."
He said the results of the increased spending by NATO allies are apparent. "And I'm traveling all over the alliance. And I'm seeing the real capabilities that are being fielded by our allies," Whitaker said.
"And it takes the burden off the American taxpayer, who no longer has to provide the conventional defense of the European continent."
That, said Whitaker, means wins around the globe. "That's a big win for President Trump. It's a big win for the American people. But it also, you know, our European allies are also strong," he said.
Whitaker told Newsmax that by primarily focusing on domestic policies, Trump has made his administration's doctrine very clear. "It's a strong America, and a strong American military, but, most importantly, a strong American economy," Whitaker said.
He said the process is not hard to understand. "And that's been done with both incentives for our own industries at home, but also with the tariffs," Whitaker explained. "President Trump has been very clear that tariffs are critical to what he's been doing and what he's accomplished."
All of that, said Whitaker, means increased safety and security worldwide.
"And so, again, a strong America, and then also strong allies, making sure that our allies are not dependent on the United States, that they are strong in and of themselves, that they have strong economies and strong militaries," he said.
Whitaker added that Trump's long-term approaches to relations with Russia and China are also playing out well but will take more time to show meaningful results.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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