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Maddow Blog-How NATO got what it wanted out of Trump, not the other way around [View all]
How did NATO leaders impress the president? Through pampering and genuflecting flattery, which worked surprisingly well.
How NATO got what it wanted out of Trump, not the other way around
— Phyllis B Kantor (@wiselady11.bsky.social) 2025-06-26T19:27:50.291Z
How did NATO leaders impress the president? Through pampering and genuflecting flattery, which worked surprisingly well.
www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
Link to tweet
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/nato-got-wanted-trump-not-way-rcna215248
But as the dust settles on the international gathering, did the American president get what it wanted out of NATO, or did NATO get what it wanted out of him? The Washington Post’s summary stood out:
For those familiar with Trump’s long-held perspective on the international alliance, the comments were as unexpected as they were refreshing. The Republican has railed against NATO for years, hinting at a possible U.S. withdrawal, questioning its value and utility — at one point even threatening to let Russia do “whatever the hell” it wants to our ostensible partners and allies.....
Two days later, at the international summit, he was asked again for his position on Article 5. “I stand with it,” Trump replied, offering a better answer than he has in years past. He added, “If I didn’t stand with it, I wouldn’t be here.” In separate remarks, Trump also said, in reference to NATO, “We’re with them all the way.”
The American president later said in reference to the NATO alliance, “I left here a little bit different. ... I left here differently.”.....
Partners also excelled by figuring out what Trump wanted — that is, pampering and genuflecting flattery — and giving it to him, at no cost to the alliance. Bloomberg News reported:
It was against this backdrop that Rutte, at one point, even referred to Trump as “daddy.”
Was it embarrassing? Probably, but it was also effective. Trump showed a newfound respect for NATO; he appeared to commit to Article 5 in ways he’d avoided just a couple of days earlier; and he even left open the possibility of at least some U.S. security aid to Ukraine.
The American president appeared quite pleased with the summit, but given the circumstances, NATO leaders and members were even more delighted.
President Donald Trump issued a full-throated endorsement of NATO and its defense mission after a summit of alliance leaders Wednesday, in his most forceful backing of a group he once threatened to abandon. ‘These people really love their countries,’ Trump told reporters. ‘It’s not a rip-off, and we’re here to help them.’
For those familiar with Trump’s long-held perspective on the international alliance, the comments were as unexpected as they were refreshing. The Republican has railed against NATO for years, hinting at a possible U.S. withdrawal, questioning its value and utility — at one point even threatening to let Russia do “whatever the hell” it wants to our ostensible partners and allies.....
Two days later, at the international summit, he was asked again for his position on Article 5. “I stand with it,” Trump replied, offering a better answer than he has in years past. He added, “If I didn’t stand with it, I wouldn’t be here.” In separate remarks, Trump also said, in reference to NATO, “We’re with them all the way.”
The American president later said in reference to the NATO alliance, “I left here a little bit different. ... I left here differently.”.....
Partners also excelled by figuring out what Trump wanted — that is, pampering and genuflecting flattery — and giving it to him, at no cost to the alliance. Bloomberg News reported:
The pillows had been fluffed at The House in the Woods, as the royal palace is known. King Willem-Alexander had a special guest staying overnight and a key role to play in the careful choreography unfolding in The Hague for the NATO summit with the singular goal of making sure US President Donald Trump didn’t pull the plug on the world’s biggest military alliance. He and fellow Dutchman Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general, had compared notes ahead of their speeches at the state dinner and made careful seating arrangements — Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, a Trump favorite, was placed next to him. Alongside the charred tuna and veal fillet, flattery was served for the benefit of one.
It was against this backdrop that Rutte, at one point, even referred to Trump as “daddy.”
Was it embarrassing? Probably, but it was also effective. Trump showed a newfound respect for NATO; he appeared to commit to Article 5 in ways he’d avoided just a couple of days earlier; and he even left open the possibility of at least some U.S. security aid to Ukraine.
The American president appeared quite pleased with the summit, but given the circumstances, NATO leaders and members were even more delighted.
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