President Donald Trump isn't just angry with NATO's European allies—he's making them pay. After they refused to help America in the war against Iran, the president has responded with fury and action.
Over the weekend, Trump announced he would pull far more than the 5,000 U.S. troops initially slated to leave Germany. The reason? Berlin's leader publicly mocked the American effort to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb.
Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz had claimed Iran "humiliated" Trump. But after the president's troop reduction threat, Merz scrambled to backtrack, insisting the United States remains Germany's most important partner and that Iran must never get nuclear weapons.
Trump didn't stop with Germany. He also hinted at slashing American forces in Spain and Italy, calling Spain "horrible" and Italy useless. His anger at Western Europe has been simmering for weeks, threatening to reshape NATO itself.
Nile Gardiner, a former advisor to Margaret Thatcher, didn't mince words. "The lack of support for the United States has been nothing less than treacherous," he said. "European leaders are sleepwalking toward destruction."
Gardiner pointed to a deep-seated cultural appeasement toward Iran that has festered for decades. "If you listen to European leaders, it's as if the U.S. is the villain here," he noted.
Merz's remarks were particularly galling. "Comments like these actually help the propaganda of the Iranian dictatorship," Gardiner fumed. "It is astonishing that a German chancellor would give comfort to the Iranian regime."
Spain's socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, went even further. He banned the U.S. from using its military bases on Spanish soil for refueling or preparations. While he decried America's campaign as illegal, he stayed silent on Iran's brutal crackdown on protesters and its race toward enriched uranium.
"The Spanish have been the worst by a long way," Gardiner said. "At least Germany and Italy allowed use of their bases. Spain refused to cooperate in any way."
Trump took direct aim at France and the United Kingdom, too. He accused France of blocking U.S. military planes loaded with supplies for Israel from flying over French territory. "France has been VERY UNHELPFUL," Trump wrote. "The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!"
He also taunted Britain and other nations that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz. "Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty," Trump suggested. "Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT."
The president warned these countries must start fighting for themselves. "The U.S.A. won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us," he declared. "Iran has been, essentially, decimated. Go get your own oil!"
Gardiner believes this crisis reveals a staggering truth: Europe has surrendered. "The big Western Europeans have embraced defeatism," he said. "They do not care. It is as simple as that. And future generations will pay the price for the course Europe is taking now."
The gap between America and its allies has never seemed wider. While the United States fights to defend Western civilization, much of Europe has lost both its will and its ability to fight—weakened by appeasement, pacifism, and a passive acceptance of mass migration and Islamification.
Trump's message is clear: the free ride is over. Europe's leaders can either step up—or be left behind.
