America’s Allies Should Go To Youngstown, Ohio

President Donald Trump is the first American president to apply tough love to our friends – especially those in Europe.

He says they aren’t doing enough to defend themselves – expecting the United States to carry the load. He also said this during his first term.

There’s a YouTube clip of German diplomats laughing at President Trump in 2018 at the United Nations as he warns the Europeans of dependence on Russian energy – while pressuring Europe to up its defenses.

Mr. Trump’s predecessors and successor also tried, but the Europeans mostly ignored them.

After three years of the Ukraine War, the U.S. still does too much of the heavy lifting – and Trump is back and isn’t backing down. There’s talk of moving U.S. forces to other places in Europe – Poland, Hungary – or even withdrawing them.

European elites are angry. Germans would-be leader, Friedrich Merz, complains America can’t be counted on and mutters about having access to nuclear weapons. Britain isn’t much different. The French are bad-mouthing the Americans as is their wont – but are no substitute.

Further afield, Australian leaders and former leaders, with their eleven-ship navy and a defense force hemorrhaging troops, are similarly incensed that American coverage might not be total.

Canada is also irked. The Japanese are quietly fretting.

And in the U.S., Trump’s enemies howl that he’s ‘destroying alliances’, ‘selling out friends’, and destroying the post-war global order.

All Trump asks – and now is demanding – is that allies and partners do more for their own defense. Increase spending, and even more, strengthen warfighting capabilities.

Too many of them have withered, misshapen defenses, assuming the U.S. military will fill the gaps.

The British army is the smallest it’s been since the Duke of Wellington’s day – over 200 years ago. It reportedly has only 25 serviceable tanks.

The German Bundeswehr has difficulty outfitting a single division and meeting NATO commitments.

The French are in better shape, but that’s only by comparison.

Japan plans to spend a lot more on defense, but its military is about half the size it needs to be and can’t fight a war. In fairness, they look good compared to the Europeans – though not compared to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Australia’s 11-ship navy mentioned earlier speaks for itself.

There are bright spots such as the Poles and the Finns, but overall, America’s partners just aren’t serious.

It’s easier to blame things on Donald Trump.

Yes, the problem is always Donald Trump.

Read more HERE.