Donald Trump did what most expected he would.  He upended the NATO summit in Brussels demanding other nations raise their contributions to the alliance or, he threatened, “he’d go his own way.”  From The Washington Post:

  • “It was not clear whether Trump was threatening a U.S. withdrawal from NATO, but some diplomats perceived his comments that way.
  • “Trump told NATO leaders that if they did not meet their defense spending targets of 2 percent of gross domestic product by January, the United States would go it alone, according to two officials briefed on the meeting.”

Trump later said the U.S. remains committed to the alliance and that other nations had agreed to raise their financial commitment to 2 percent of GDP.  French President Emmanuel Macron denied Trump threatened to leave NATO and he also denied other members had agreed to spending increases.

At a news conference following the summit, Trump claimed victory and again said he is a “very stable genius.”

From The Washington Post:

  • Asked at a news conference whether he could withdraw the United States from NATO without congressional approval, Trump replied, “I think I probably can, but that’s unnecessary.” He added: “The people have stepped up today” as they never have before. “Everyone in the room thanked me. There was a great collegial spirit in that room. . . . Very unified, very strong. No problem.”