Biden on Trump’s NATO approach: Dumb, dangerous and un-American
The president also pushed House Republicans to pass legislation that would send millions of dollars to Ukraine and other nations.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday accused former President Donald Trump of issuing a “dangerous” invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade American allies, raising the stakes of getting his national security supplemental through Congress.
“No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator,” Biden said from the White House state dining room. “For God's sake. It's dumb. It's shameful. It's dangerous. It's un-American. When America gives its word, it means something. When we make a commitment, we keep it and NATO is a sacred commitment. Donald Trump looks at this as if it's a burden.”
The comments from Biden represented the most significant pushback from the White House to date against his former and likely future rival. They come at a perilous time for legislation that would send millions of dollars in foreign aid to Ukraine and other nations.
The Senate passed that national security supplemental bill early Tuesday morning. But it faces an uncertain future in the House, in large part because Trump has encouraged Republican lawmakers to block an earlier version of it and because he’s been skeptical of the NATO alliance that is pushing back against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Over the weekend, the former president said that, if wins reelection, he would not defend a “delinquent” NATO ally against Russia. “I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”
Trump has since insisted that he was trying to simply get NATO members to increase their military spending. But his remarks caused panic internationally and sparked furious denunciations back at home.
“For Trump, principles never matter. Everything is transactional. He doesn't understand that the sacred commitment we've given works for us as well. In fact, I would remind Trump and all those who would walk away from NATO [that] Article Five has only been invoked once,” Biden said on Tuesday, citing the international response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Biden said Trump’s remarks raise the stakes of Congress approving the president’s national security supplemental, which would provide funding to Israel and Taiwan in addition to Ukraine.
“America stands up for freedom. We stand strong for our allies. We never bow down to anyone, and certainly not to Vladimir Putin,” Biden said. “So let's get on with this.”
