Former US President Donald Trump, if re-elected, will seek the actual elimination of NATO, from which he already wanted to leave, said John Bolton, who served as national security adviser to the 45th US president for more than a year.
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The ex-adviser refers to the alliance summit in July 2018 in Brussels. According to Bolton, he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not know until the last moment whether Trump intended to “blow up” NATO.
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Bolton remembers Trump calling him to his seat at the oval table where world leaders sat. “Should we now make history and leave NATO?” – Trump asked, preparing to speak. Bolton said he suggested Trump “come to the line, but don’t cross it.”
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The ex-adviser said he believes Trump will look for a way to destroy the alliance if he is re-elected. “He never lost the desire to get out of it,” a former Trump adviser told.
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Most former Trump administration officials describe his attacks on NATO as a negotiating and pressure tactic to force allies to increase military spending. It is believed that these statements are not related to the desire to actually leave the alliance. Bolton, however, does not share this confidence. “If people say he’s just haggling, then they haven’t heard Trump directly like I did,” he said.
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Preliminary voting results show Trump winning the Republican presidential nomination in Iowa with 51% of the vote, based on data from 99-100% of counties. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ranks second, and ex-permanent representative to the UN Nikki Haley closes the top three.
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The next US presidential election will be held in November 2024. Trump, DeSantis, and Haley are vying for the Republican nomination. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former US Vice President Mike Pence, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie have already dropped out of the race. Current American leader Joe Biden announced in April that he intends to be re-elected from the Democratic Party.
