Trump made me proud at NATO summit

I’m incredibly proud of President Donald Trump for standing up for the American taxpayer at the NATO summit in Brussels in demanding that the other members of the alliance meet their fair 2 percent gross domestic product share of their contribution for NATO’s defense budget — which the U.S. has been disproportionately paying.

In other words, for the last 69 years the American taxpayer has been subsidizing the cost of defense for other countries that can afford it when our national debt has simultaneously ballooned to over $20 trillion.

In 1987, Trump made what I considered to be the genesis of his presidential campaign by publishing an open letter titled, “There’s nothing wrong with America’s Foreign Defense Policy that a little backbone can’t cure,” which explained the abuse of the U.S. government when it allows other nations to financially take advantage of us.

For three decades Trump has been chomping at the bit on the sidelines waiting for his opportunity to finally stand up for America and end this abuse that the Washington establishment saw as “business as usual” — which has become so entrenched that it now makes Trump out to be the bad guy for wanting to end it.

Eugene Dunn

Medford, N.Y. Trump has no right to question NATO and its members. Not because NATO doesn’t have issues, it definitely does, but Trump has a kid-level understanding and abilities so he is the least capable person for the job.

International policy is complicated for those who actually spend time preparing and learning about it and he ... well, you must have seen him when he goes off script, at this point. Let’s just leave it at that and pick someone else who actually has a clue and qualifications to negotiate with NATO members.

Julio Rivera Ayala

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