Report: Trump Told EU US Would 'Never' Help if Europe Was Attacked

Facts

• Former US Pres. Donald Trump allegedly warned EU Commission Pres. Ursula von der Leyen in private in 2020 that America would not stand by Europe if it were attacked, a senior EU official has claimed.¹
• According to Thierry Breton, French EU Commissioner for Internal Market, Trump told Leyen, 'You need to understand that if Europe is under attack, we will never come to help you and to support you,' at a meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos.²
• Furthermore, Breton claims Trump stated 'NATO is dead' and the US will 'quit' the Western military alliance, while he also criticized Germany for not meeting its defense payment commitments worth $400B.³
• Pres. Joe Biden's campaign condemned Trump's alleged comments on Wednesday, stating, that US global standing was undermined by Trump's intent to weaken NATO as well as his close ties to Russian Pres. Vladamir Putin.⁴
• Meanwhile, when asked about his NATO commitment in the second term by Fox News host Bret Baier during the town hall on Thursday, Trump said it would depend on how the organization treats Washington, accusing European countries of exploiting the US on trade and 'military protection.'⁵
• As Trump faces dozens of lawsuits, recent polls suggest a close race in a hypothetical 2024 presidential election between the frontrunner for the GOP nomination and Pres. Joe Biden.²

Sources: ¹POLITICO (a), ²Guardian, ³The Globe and Mail, ⁴POLITICO (b) and ⁵The Independent.

Narratives

• Anti-Trump narrative, as provided by POLITICO. Trump's 2020 remarks illustrate why he must never be re-elected US president. The US is the leader of the free world and, therefore, bears the main burden of ensuring its defense. Trump's NATO stance and his cozying up to dictators like Russia's Putin or North Korea's Kim underscore that, as president, Trump would pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the US and its allies. Moreover, NATO is by no means 'dead,' and the US commitment to the alliance is stronger than ever, also as a result of Russia's Ukraine invasion.
• Pro-Trump narrative, as provided by FOX News. Donald Trump is right in saying that the US must no longer allow itself to be exploited economically or strategically by the Europeans. The best strategy to strengthen US national security is not NATO but a robust yet peaceful US foreign policy. It is ludicrous for Democrats to attack the former Pres. for seeking direct dialog with leaders like Putin since only dialog helps overcome conflict. What weakens the US is Biden's lack of leadership, which made the Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war possible in the first place. It's time Trump returns to the White House.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by UnHerd. Both Biden and Trump are under the misconception that NATO defends freedom and democracy and protects Europeans when NATO is, above all, an instrument for enforcing Washington's foreign interests. Europeans should step out of Washington's shadow and deal with the US as they do with China or Russia, cooperating with them when it makes sense and defending their interests when necessary. Only if it adopts a sovereign and independent approach to security and foreign policy will Europe still have a say in the multipolar world order.

Predictions