Obama: Biden ‘absolutely right’ that promise of NATO keeps American families safe

Former President Obama stood by President Biden’s commitment to the NATO alliance on Wednesday, days after former President Trump sparked concern around the globe by saying the U.S. should not defend NATO allies who fall short of their defense spending targets.

“President Biden is absolutely right,” Obama wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The last thing we need right now is a world that is more chaotic and less secure; where dictators feel emboldened and our allies wonder if they can count on us. Let’s keep moving forward.”

Obama was responding to a statement from Biden saying the NATO alliance keeps American families safe.

“The promise of NATO – that an attack on one is an attack on all – keeps American families safe. It’s that simple. Any individual who calls into question the durability of that vow is a danger to our security,” Biden wrote on X.

Obama’s reinforcement of Biden’s message comes at a time when world leaders have expressed concern about Trump’s threats to NATO.

Those concerns resurfaced this weekend, when Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, recounted a conversation he said he had with a foreign leader of a NATO country, who asked if the U.S. would defend alliance members who didn’t pay at least 2 percent of economic output.

“I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want,” Trump recalled saying, referring to a hypothetical attack from Russia. “You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”

Critics say Trump’s rhetoric damages U.S. credibility and chips away at the deterrence component of the NATO alliance. But his allies have dismissed that criticism, arguing Trump is not a typical politician and is simply pushing other NATO countries to carry their weight.

After Trump’s remarks at the rally, Biden strongly condemned the remarks

“NATO is a sacred commitment. Donald Trump looks at this as if it’s a burden, when he looks at NATO he doesn’t see the alliance that protects America and the world, he sees a protection racket,” Biden added.

“He doesn’t understand that NATO was built on the principles of freedom, security and national sovereignty because for Trump, principles never matter. Everything is transactional.”