NATO fears Trump clampdown in case of midterms defeat – Politico

The US president “could be very pissed off” after the election, a diplomatic source has told the outlet NATO is worried that Donald Trump could significantly reduce US involvement in the bloc if the Republican Party loses the midterms on November 3, Politico has reported, citing European officials and diplomats.Officials in the military bloc are “bracing for a worst-case scenario” as a result of the vote on Tuesday, the outlet said in an article on Sunday.If a victory for the Democrats blocks Trump from legislating domestically, he may decide to go after NATO to rally his MAGA base, diplomats told the outlet.The US could withdraw thousands more troops from Europe, cut American funding for the bloc, or limit the NATO-backed PURL arms-buying scheme for Ukraine, they suggested.Trump “could be very pissed off” after the midterms, if so, “he’ll be very harsh,” one diplomat reportedly warned. When addressed for comment by Politico, White House Assistant Press Secretary Olivia Wales insisted that “Trump has done more for NATO than anyone else,” including persuading member states to boost defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, increasing the US militarily presence in Greenland, and underta...