SHAKEDOWN

Trump: Germany Owes ‘Vast Sums’ to NATO

And the U.S. “must be paid.”

President Trump on Saturday took to Twitter to proclaim that Germany better pay up to NATO for the “vast sums” it owes. Despite describing his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel as “great,” he said, “Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO,” adding that “the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany.” Trump’s latest comments on the matter follow repeated warnings from Trump to NATO allies that the U.S. might withdraw support for the alliance if other countries don’t pay up for defense spending. In January, Trump angered European leaders by blasting NATO as “obsolete” and complaining that member countries weren’t “paying what they're supposed to be paying.”