***To read the full blog, please check out the complete post on NewsBusters***
Between President Trump’s trip to the NATO summit last week and his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, the liberal media had been trying to portray Trump as a bull in a china shop damaging relationships with allies and upending global norms. During Wednesday’s edition of Cuomo Prime Time, CNN host Chris Cuomo tried to continue that narrative only to have it turned around on him by Brigadier General Anthony Tata (U.S. Army Retired).
Cuomo was offended that President Trump was demanding NATO members pay the defense obligations they agreed to and was hoping to get the General to slam the President for it. “This idea that the United States will back you as a NATO ally if you pay your share, is that the right message to send,” Cuomo scoffed.
But General Tata didn’t buy into Cuomo suggestions. “I think any discussion on the threshold on decision-making with regard to combat or decision-making regarding coming to the aid of a NATO member is a good discussion to have,” he stated. “The President has been consistent on his message:0 You've got to pay your fair share. And you know, it’s a good discussion to have.”
“But the idea that it's an if/then, if you pay, then I'll take your back, that's not the way it's supposed to work,” Cuomo pushed back.
Tata reminded Cuomo that there was no talk of evoking Article V (mutual defense) of the NATO agreement by Obama when allies were being attacked by ISIS. “[H]e flicked lint off his suit. Right? And did nothing (…) I think it's perfectly valid for the President of the United States now to have a conversation, what is the threshold [need to invoke Article V] and should member nations pay more,” he argued.
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