Pence: Trump Will Never Abandon NATO

Donald Trump running mate Mike Pence was unequivocal Thursday that a Trump administration would never abandon NATO or its NATO allies, clarifying a point about member-nations abiding by their commitments under the treaty that Democrats have sought to spin to Trump’s disadvantage during their convention in Philadelphia.

“Not a chance,” Pence said on “The Laura Ingraham Show” when asked if Trump would consider pulling out of the mutual defense pact. “Look, this is one of the toughest negotiators in the world. He’s basically saying, ‘Here’s the deal, we’re going to meet our obligations to our treaty allies.”

“They’ve taken a sarcastic comment, suggested that he was encouraging that activity — all the while ignoring the extraordinary revelations in these emails.”

The Indiana governor made explicit the commonsense point that keeping NATO nations spending adequately on military defense is a key element of the agreement’s success.

“We’re going to rebuild our military and be strong, all right,” Pence said, “But in the same breath we are going to require when we meet our treaty obligations — we’re going to require that our partners meet their treaty obligations.'”

Pence noted there is a real desire among voters to see a leader that doesn’t get walked all over around the world.

“That’s a fresh thought — it’s a positive thought, it’s a welcome thought to the American people,” Pence continued.

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Democrats have sought to paint Trump’s comments on holding NATO allies to their treaty commitments for defense spending levels as an extreme position akin to abandoning American allies. The commonsense prescription to keep NATO strong by keeping its military rates of spending at treaty-required levels was slammed as dangerous and indicative of a nominee unfit to lead on foreign policy.

Trump “tells the NATO allies that stood by our side after 9/11 that they have to pay up if they want our protection,” President Obama said during his primetime address to the Democratic Convention Wednesday. “Well, America’s promises do not come with a price tag. We meet our commitments.”

Vice President Joe Biden took the Trump bashing on foreign policy to an even higher, hyperbolic level.

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“No major party nominee in the history of our nation has ever known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security,”  Biden contended.

“We cannot elect a man who belittles our closest allies while embracing dictators like Vladimir Putin,” he continued.

Pence also lampooned Democratic efforts to spin an off-the-cuff remark from Trump about Clinton’s emails into a distraction — with the media’s complicity.

“What’s remarkable to me is once again the national media takes what was clearly a sarcastic comment made by Donald Trump after he and I since condemned any potential activity by Russia or any other foreign power,” Pence told LifeZette Editor-in-Chief Laura Ingraham. “They’ve taken a sarcastic comment, suggested that he was encouraging that activity — all the while ignoring the extraordinary revelations in these emails.”