Former President Donald Trump vowed to “insist” that nations in the NATO alliance increase their spending on defense to “at least” three percent of their gross domestic product (GDP).
While speaking at the National Guard Association of the United States conference on Monday, Trump spoke about how several countries in NATO have “spent far less than two percent of” their GDP.
“I’ll also get you reinforcement for allies abroad, making them pull their weight,” Trump said. “They have to do that, and they have to pay their fair share. As I was saying for years, all of these NATO countries spent far less than two percent of GDP on their militaries, leaving our forces overstretched.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: "For years, all of these NATO countries spent far less than 2% of GDP on their militaries, leaving our forces overstretched. To make up for years of shortfalls and help deter growing threats, I will insist that every NATO nation must spend at least 3%." pic.twitter.com/zd9gXIYrR6
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) August 26, 2024
“To make up for shortfalls and help deter threats I’ll insist that every NATO nation must spend at least three percent,” Trump added. “You have to go up to three percent, two percent is the steal of the century.”
During his first term in office Trump warned members of NATO to start paying two percent of their GDP, and questioned why “only five out of 29 countries had met their commitment.”
As Breitbart News reported in February 2024, NATO countries’ defense spending began to increase from 1.56 percent in 2019, to 1.85 percent in 2023, to two percent in 2024.
In March, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda called for other nations in NATO to increase their spending to three percent, while several countries were still reported to be falling behind two percent.
A Defense Expenditure report from NATO found that Poland led other countries in the alliance and had spent 4.12 percent of its GDP, while Estonia had spent 3.43 percent, and the United States 3.38 percent.
