Trump demands immediate increase in NATO members’ defense spending

Reports in Germany claim he threatened to quit the alliance No Images? Click here   By Paul Vale     Thursday, July 12  TRUMP DEMANDS NATO MEMBERS UP SPENDING IMMEDIATELY President Donald Trump has demanded NATO members immediately increase their defense spending to 2 percent of GDP and called for the target to be doubled to 4 percent by 2024 following a tempestuous day at the NATO summit in Brussels. Some reports in Germany even claim he has threatened to quit the alliance if defense budgets were not upped straight away, though Trump subsequently reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to NATO on Thursday while also taking credit for what NATO member spending increases there have been in recent years. The president is due to land in the United Kingdom Thursday amid the ongoing Brexit crisis and sharp domestic divisions that were heightened by his visit. 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