Trump versus Merkel: Sort of Not Talking about the Future of NATO

On May 25, 2017, United States President Donald Trump gave an important speech during his first meeting with the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Shortly after, German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered what we must see as a startling rebuke to Trump’s position (or, more accurately, to Trump’s lack of position). NATO has, of course, been the Western democracies' bulwark of peace and stability. The NATO treaty calls for an attack on any one nation to be an attack on all. This provision has only been invoked once, when NATO went to war in Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks against the United States. Trump's speech was fine, except for what he did not say, and a minor international dispute erupted.

Donald Trump, WH photo

First, Trump's speech. After a brief introduction, Trump observed a moment of silence for victims of the Manchester attack. He remembered the sacrifice of the NATO allies, who "responded swiftly and decisively." In a curious choice of words, Trump termed the terrorists to be "killers and extremists -- and, yes, losers." He reviewed that he objected to terrorism when he met with the Muslim leaders earlier in his trip. He expressed hope that the world could "defeat terrorism, a common threat to all of humanity." He called for increased "focus on terrorism and immigration, as well as threats from Russia and on NATO's eastern and southern borders." He reminded the leaders that most NATO members were not spending the agreed 2% of GDP on defense, which he sad was "not fair tot he people and taxpayers of the United States." So far, well and good. 

But international attention focused on what he did not say. Unlike the other leaders, he did not reiterate the United States' commitment to  treat an attack on any of them to be an attack on the United States. Conservative opinion write Charles Krauthammer called Trump's speech a "disaster." He explained that "The world was waiting for Trump to say, 'I support Article 5,'" and Trump didn't say it. Article 5 is, of course, NATO's heart.

The important point here is not what Trump said, but what he didn't say. 

Second, European leaders immediately noticed what Trump didn't say.  Speaking at a beer hall rally, which seems to be a German tradition, Merkel, without mentioning Trump by name, said that Europeans "must take our fate into our own hands." She also said thata "We have to know tthat we must fight for our future on our own, for our desitiny as Europeans." This was a clear admission that Europe can no longer count on America.

Two dramatic speeches, that made their points by not saying things that you would expect them to say.

PS: Chapter 7 of my book, From the Front Porch to the Front Page, talks about how McKinley made a point by specifically not talking about something important.