President Trump slammed NATO — and singled out Germany — in a pair of Monday morning tweets two days before his trip to Brussels for the alliance's summit, saying NATO members "must do much more" and up their contributions.
"The United States is spending far more on NATO than any other Country. This is not fair, nor is it acceptable. While these countries have been increasing their contributions since I took office, they must do much more. Germany is at 1%, the U.S. is at 4%, and NATO benefits Europe far more than it does the U.S. By some accounts, the U.S. is paying for 90% of NATO, with many countries nowhere close to their 2% commitment. On top of this the European Union has a Trade Surplus of $151 Million with the U.S., with big Trade Barriers on U.S. goods. NO!"
Between the lines: Axios Jonathan Swan reported last night that senior European officials have said they are worried that Trump will spend the entire NATO summit beating up on America's closest allies, especially Germany, for not spending enough on their defense — and it looks like those fears were well-founded.