Clinton says Trump will withdraw the US from NATO if elected

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that former President Trump "would withdraw the US from NATO" if he wins the 2024 election.

Responding to FT on May 20, Mrs. Clinton said she "did not believe" former US President Donald Trump would win the election, but assessed that prospect would "put an end to democracy in the US, as well as the country of Ukraine", warning that Mr. Trump would withdraw the US from NATO.

The former US secretary of state also commented that President Biden's age is "an issue that voters have a right to consider." Mr. Biden, 80, announced his candidacy last month, starting his campaign for the 2024 race with the goal of "getting things done."

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a conference in Washington, DC, USA, on May 5. Photo: AFP — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a conference in Washington, DC, USA, on May 5. Photo: *AFP*

In April 2022, former President Donald Trump admitted that he had warned that the US might not comply with Article 5 of the NATO treaty if members did not increase defense spending. Article 5 of the treaty stipulates that any attack on one member of the alliance is considered an attack on the entire alliance, with NATO responding in a coordinated manner.

"One leader asked, does that mean you're not going to protect us if we don't pay more? I said, 'Yes,'" Trump said, explaining that it was a negotiating tactic. "If I say, 'No, that's not what I mean,' how can I get them to pay? Somebody has to say it."

Experts at the time gave different explanations for Mr. Trump’s statement. Some said that Mr. Trump was threatening to withdraw from NATO, others said that he would make decisions about whether to defend countries based on their ability to meet their defense spending commitments.

According to an April 20 survey by the Associated Press and the NORC Research Center at the University of Chicago, 70% of Americans do not want Mr. Trump to run for re-election in 2024. Specifically, 44% of Republicans, 93% of Democrats and 63% of independents do not want him to run for the White House again.

Joe Biden is the oldest US president in history. He will be 86 years old if he is re-elected and completes his second term. A poll released on April 19 showed that 39% of Americans approved of the job Biden is doing as president, near the lowest level of his tenure.

Duc Trung (According to Financial Times )

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