President Trump held a press conference at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, where he emphasized the strength of the United States on the world stage.
Trump declared that the US has the "strongest military in the world by far, not even close, everybody admits it." He also touted his success in increasing NATO members' defense spending, citing the agreement to raise the annual target from 2% to 5% of GDP.
At last year's NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Trump forced NATO members to raise defense spending targets, instead of the US footing the bill for Europe. The US spent $997 billion on defense in 2024, more than double the combined spending of all European NATO members.
Trump noted that the US remains the largest contributor to NATO monetarily and militarily, and that NATO members respect the US as a country again. He claimed that they "laughed at us" two years ago but now "don't laugh anymore."
Trump revealed the "tremendous unity" among NATO allies, citing the "respect and the love" from European leaders for the United States. He claimed that European leaders "like the job I'm doing" and have expressed their appreciation for the US.
Trump emphasized the importance of NATO members reaching the 5% defense spending target, stating that many countries are making great progress. He noted that the US invested a record $1 trillion in its armed forces this year and will be asking for $1.5 trillion in the coming years.
The president highlighted the significance of NATO members purchasing American-made equipment, stating that "they all want American-made equipment" due to its high quality and reputation. He expressed his desire to see NATO members accelerate their defense spending plans to reach the 5% target as quickly as possible.
