Trump threat against Nato ‘dumb,’ ‘shameful:’ Biden

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned “dumb” and “shameful” comments by Donald Trump saying he would encourage Russia to attack Nato members who failed to meet financial commitments.

“It’s dumb. It’s shameful. It’s dangerous. It’s un-American,” Biden said in televised comments from the White House. “When he looks at Nato, he doesn’t see the alliance that protects America and the world. He sees a protection racket.”

Speaking from the White House, Biden said Trump’s comments had sent a dangerous and “shameful” signal to the world. Biden was referring to a speech Trump had given at a campaign rally in South Carolina in which he imagined a Nato country asking if the United States would protect them from a Russian attack if they didn’t pay.

“I said, ‘You didn’t pay. You’re delinquent.’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you,” Trump told the crowd then. “In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”

The worst part of Trump’s speech, Biden said on Tuesday, was that “he means it.”

“Can you imagine a former president of United States saying that? The whole world heard it,” Biden said. “No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. Well, let me say this as clearly as I can: I never will. For God sake, it’s dumb. It’s shameful. It’s dangerous. It’s un-American.”

Trump has a long history of denigrating Nato, and former administration officials say he repeatedly threatened to withdraw the U.S. from the alliance that has been central to US policy for decades. One former adviser said he expects Trump to move forward with his threats if he wins a second term.

But allies and supporters argue that, despite his denunciations, Trump did not ultimately abandon Nato while president and dismiss his claims as bluster or tough negotiating tactics.