- Donald Trump wants the US to abandon NATO because he “hates alliances”, a former army general says.
- Ben Hodges said Trump was a “mafia type” and “didn't want to limit anyone's options.”
- “He didn't care much about moral obligations,” Hodges said.
Donald Trump's hostility toward NATO has nothing to do with its members not spending enough on their own defense, a former US Army general said.
Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander of the US Army in Europe, told the British newspaper: “Trump hates alliances. He hates the commitment that he has to fulfill something.” times In a story published Monday.
The retired lieutenant general added: “He's a mafia type. He doesn't want to limit his options. He doesn't care much about moral obligations. He's willing to give up on the whole thing.”
Trump said Saturday at a rally in South Carolina that he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to NATO members who have not met their spending commitments.
The former president received backlash for his comments about the military alliance. On Saturday evening, the White House criticized Trump's statements, describing them as “appalling and disturbing.”
While some Republican Party officials did He downplayed the importance of Trump's statements As a negotiating tactic, Hodges told the Times that he believes Trump is “absolutely prepared” to abandon Europe if he is elected president again.
“It would be foolish not to take what he says seriously,” Hodges told the newspaper. “In his last term, he had people around him who were able to smooth things over, at least for a while.”
“He won't make that mistake again,” Hodges said.
Hodges is not the first person to liken Trump to the mafia.
Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal lawyer, said Washington Post In June 2022 that his former boss was like a “mob boss”.
Cohen made the comments after the investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riot alleged that Trump allies intimidated witnesses.
Cohen told the newspaper: “Donald Trump never changes the rules of the game. He acts like a gang leader, and these messages are framed that way.” “Issuing an order without giving the order. No fingerprints attached.”
Representatives for Trump and Hodges did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside normal business hours.
