Trump Lashes Out at NATO, But Allies Still Show Respect

At the NATO summit that just ended, Donald Trump attacked other member nations. He said he was “very disappointed with NATO” and asked: “Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and they’re not there for us?” Trump repeated his desire to take over Greenland. He criticized European energy and immigration policies. He insulted Spain. He also worried allies by saying the war between Kyiv and Moscow “doesn’t affect us.” Despite these outbursts, NATO leaders treated Trump with courtesy and respect. Some observers say he received more deference than any previous US president at the summit. Trump later described the meeting positively. “It was a great meeting, there was a lot of love in that room, a lot of unity,” he said. The events show a key source of Trump’s power: his willingness to break norms, rules, and laws, while leaving others to handle the consequences.