UPDATED: 7/12/18 9:02AM
STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET, England (AP) – President Donald Trump has arrived in Great Britain for his first visit as president amid NATO tensions, protests and Brexit turmoil. Air Force One has landed at London Stansted Airport, where Trump is beginning a four-day visit to the country.
JUST IN: Pres. Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport, England, for U.K. visit. https://t.co/Wmj7ouv20Z pic.twitter.com/mfRarhw6iw
— ABC News (@ABC) July 12, 2018
BRUSSELS (AP) – During an unnannounced press conference during the NATO Summitt in Brussels, Belgium President Donald Trump said he probably can withdraw the U.S. from NATO but that such a step is “unnecessary.”
Published reports Thursday said Trump had threatened during the NATO summit in Brussels to pull the U.S. out of the military alliance in a dispute over defense spending.
Trump says at a news conference that he was “extremely unhappy” with the situation, but that alliance members have upped their commitment in response to his complaints.
Asked whether he’s still threatening to pull out of NATO and whether he can do so without buy-in from Congress, Trump said: “I think I probably can but that’s unnecessary.”
WATCH: Full press conference from Brussels:
#NATOSummit2018 Press Conference in Brussels, Belgium:https://t.co/iEOeGV6YBI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2018
Meanitme, Friend President Emmanuel Macron denies Trump claim that NATO powers agreed to increase defense spending beyond previous targets.
“President Trump never at any moment, either in public or in private, threatened to withdraw from NATO,” Macron told reporters.
He said the leaders of the alliance’s 29 members met in an extraordinary session on Thursday morning at the request of NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
JUST IN: (AP) – French President Macron denies Trump claim that NATO powers agreed to increase defense spending beyond previous targets. #wbrc
— Sherea Harris-Turner (@ShereaHarris) July 12, 2018
Copyright 2018. WBAP/KLIF News. This Report Contains Material from the Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
