Parlez-vous obnoxious?: Trump tells France re. NATO, "we want our money back"

[BeyondGeography]

Trump’s faux-pas diplomacy

President Donald Trump spent much of a recent phone call with French President Francois Hollande veering off into rants about the U.S. getting shaken down by other countries, according to a senior official with knowledge of the call, creating an awkward interaction with a critical U.S. ally.

While the Hollande call on Jan. 28 did touch on pressing matters between the two countries — namely the fight against the Islamic State — Trump also used the exchange to vent about his personal fixations, including his belief that the United States is being taken advantage of by China and by international bodies like NATO, the official said.

At one point, Trump declared that the French can continue protecting NATO, but that the U.S. “wants our money back,” the official said, adding that Trump seemed to be “obsessing over money."

“It was a difficult conversation, because he talks like he’s speaking publicly,” the official said. “It's not the usual way heads of state speak to each other. He speaks with slogans and the conversation was not completely organized.”

More at http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-foreign-leaders-phone-calls-234770

[dalton99a]

1. He's so protective of our money

[JustAnotherGen]

2. On top of everything else

He is just monumentally embarrassing.

[exboyfil]

3. France wasn't part of NATO for 43 years

Still I thought Clinton, Bush II, and Obama was unwise in continuing to expand NATO towards the Russians. I thought it was time to put it to bed. If you look at the EU economy, you have to question why can't they defend themselves? Same argument for South Korea.

On the other hand this man is a fool and even if I agree with him in principle, he is going to screw up our foreign affairs for generations to come if he keeps going.

[Cracklin Charlie]

5. If he keeps going?

Have you ever seen him "dial it back"?

He'll screw it up, just like always.

[Blue_true]

6. Without NATO, we get WWIII. Anyone that says

NATO isn't important to the world are fooling themselves. The former Soviet Republics don't trust Russia and given Georgia, Crimea and Eastern Ukraine and Putin's penchant for poisoning opponents worldwide, what sane person can say those Republics don't have a valid concern.

[exboyfil]

8. That is today

Not 20 years ago. I think their was a historic moment after the collapse of the Soviet Union to exit NATO. Continuing to push the NATO frontier to the doorstep of Russia is part of the reason that Putin has the power base which he has now.

The EU countries must pay more for their defense. Such negotiation should not be handled by our ham fisted President, but it is a fact.

[Yavin4]

7. Please research the history of wars on the European continent

and then understand that the peace we've had in Europe since the end of WWII is largely due to NATO.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Guess which country was among the first nations to stand beside us in Afghanistan in 2001?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_forces_in_Afghanistan

Once bitten, twice shy.