Trump Bashes NATO, Debates Selling Fighter Jets to ‘Loyal’ Turkey — Despite Restrictions

 

President Donald Trump skewered NATO for failing to help the U.S. in the Iran war, adding that he’s considering selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey — even though there are legal restrictions against it — because the country has been “more loyal” than other NATO allies.

The president made those comments while sitting next to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at a meeting in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday.

Ankara is the site of the latest NATO Summit that will run for the next two days; Trump initially said he didn’t feel like going, but ultimately opted to make the long trip out of respect for his “friend,” Erdoğan.

One reporter asked Trump if the U.S. will sell F-35s to Turkey.

“It is a decision we’re going to make. We have a very good relationship. I would think that many people, I could tell you many people, including the people sitting here, thinks why wouldn’t we?” Trump answered. “We have a better relationship with Turkey, and Turkey has been more loyal than other countries that we think would be loyal. So yeah, it is something certainly we would consider.”

The president’s answer came a day after The New York Times reported Trump is expected to tell Erdoğan he is ready to sell the fighter jets to his country.

That sale is currently banned by U.S. law, which requires Turkey to remove its Russian S-400 missile system for any deal to take place.

Trump then pivoted to bashing one of his favorite punching bags in recent months — NATO. The president said he has been “disappointed” with NATO and questioned why the U.S. remains the key cog in the alliance.

“We weren’t treated well, because we did something in Iran. We don’t need anybody’s help — I didn’t even want the help — but before I asked, they said they wouldn’t be there,” Trump said.

“We’ve invested trillions of dollars in NATO. Why?” he continued. “To protect European countries and others, Canada, etc., but to protect people, countries from generally speaking, it used to be the Soviet Union, now it’s Russia. And I say that’s fine, but you would think they would be willing to do something to help us, and they really weren’t.”

Right after, Trump called out soon-to-be-departing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in particular for the lack of Iran war support.

Watch above via Fox News.

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