Rubio referred to the president's words criticized by leaders in Europe during a Senate hearing on Venezuela. Trump's statements were drawn to Democratic senator from Illinois Tammy Duckworth, who served in the US Army in Iraq and is in a wheelchair due to injuries sustained there. As she mentioned, Poles, British and Spanish served at her side at the time and were subject to attacks by militants. She also pointed out that Polish troops have been cooperating with the National Guard of her state for 30 years and have suffered casualties in Afghanistan.
What were Donald Trump's words about NATO?
Who defended Donald Trump in the Senate?
How did Senator Tammy Duckworth react to Trump's words?
What did Rubio say about Trump's request for more allies?
“It's not an unreasonable request.”
“The president just wants our allies to have greater capabilities to engage in such operations if, God forbid, they become necessary in the future.” “It's not an unreasonable request,” Rubio replied. When Duckworth recalled that President Trump was not talking about this, but about the allies “being a little bit behind” and away from the front, Rubio replied that not all NATO countries participated in these missions.
In response to the senator's comment that Denmark suffered some of the worst losses per capita, the Secretary of State admitted that “there is no doubt that many allies rose to the occasion and provided us with assistance,” but added that “there are many others who simply do not have this opportunity.”
Vice President JD Vance also commented on the exchange between Rubie and Duckworth. “Watching Tammy Duckworth obsessively interrupt Marco Rubio during a hearing is like watching Forest Gump and Isaac Newton argue,” the politician commented on Platform X.
In response to a wave of criticism from European leaders, including the British Prime Minister, last week President Trump appreciated the contribution of British soldiers, praising their courage. In turn, US ambassador to Poland Tom Rose wrote that Trump repeatedly “emphasized his deep respect for Poland's sacrifice and its unwavering commitment to the North Atlantic Alliance, including solidarity and service alongside allies in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Previously, the White House defended the president's comments. “President Trump is absolutely right – the United States of America has done more for NATO than all other countries of the Alliance combined,” one of the White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told PAP last Friday.
