NYT’s Lulu Garcia Navarro Repeatedly Tries and Fails to Get NATO Chief Rutte to Criticize Trump

Garcia NAVARRO He sees ░░░░░░░░ as European nations basically ░░░░░░░░ their welfare states you ░░░░░░░░ giving free health care ░░░░░░░░ pensions at the expense ░░░░░░░░ American defense You think ░░░░░░░░ view is fair RUTTE ░░░░░░░░ second half of that ░░░░░░░░ is fair But the ░░░░░░░░ half I wouldn t ░░░░░░░░ into because I think ░░░░░░░░ and I m pretty ░░░░░░░░ confident of the fact ░░░░░░░░ the American President Trump ░░░░░░░░ much realized and his ░░░░░░░░ team based on my ░░░░░░░░ when I was in ░░░░░░░░ in March when I ░░░░░░░░ in April when I ░░░░░░░░ conversations last week in ░░░░░░░░ Hague that for the ░░░░░░░░ S to stay strong ░░░░░░░░ safe there is this ░░░░░░░░ with European security and ░░░░░░░░ course working together to ░░░░░░░░ the Indo Pacific safe ░░░░░░░░ I do agree with ░░░░░░░░ second half because there ░░░░░░░░ this enormous irritant since ░░░░░░░░ with American presidents and ░░░░░░░░ think they re completely ░░░░░░░░ that Europeans were not ░░░░░░░░ enough You were paying ░░░░░░░░ average 3 5 of ░░░░░░░░ GDP on defense that ░░░░░░░░ were well struggling to ░░░░░░░░ to 2 So there ░░░░░░░░ has a big point ░░░░░░░░ luckily last week in ░░░░░░░░ Hague we solved that ░░░░░░░░ NAVARRO Before we get ░░░░░░░░ that substance I d ░░░░░░░░ to talk a little ░░░░░░░░ about the style because ░░░░░░░░ interactions with President Trump ░░░░░░░░ the aftermath of that ░░░░░░░░ had been called and ░░░░░░░░ m quoting here fawning ░░░░░░░░ orchestrated grovel I saw ░░░░░░░░ refer to NATO now ░░░░░░░░ the North Atlantic Trump ░░░░░░░░ It s been a ░░░░░░░░ of a lot of ░░░░░░░░ How do you see ░░░░░░░░ RUTTE Well let s ░░░░░░░░ what is happening There ░░░░░░░░ seven or eight countries ░░░░░░░░ Europe not at 2 ░░░░░░░░ now it s 5 ░░░░░░░░ new benchmark Do we ░░░░░░░░ think that this would ░░░░░░░░ been we would have ░░░░░░░░ able last week in ░░░░░░░░ Hague to agree to ░░░░░░░░ 5 if Trump would ░░░░░░░░ have been reelected president ░░░░░░░░ the United States So ░░░░░░░░ think when somebody deserves ░░░░░░░░ that praise should be ░░░░░░░░ And President Trump deserves ░░░░░░░░ the praise because without ░░░░░░░░ leadership without him being ░░░░░░░░ president of the United ░░░░░░░░ the 2 this year ░░░░░░░░ 5 in 2035 we ░░░░░░░░ never ever ever have ░░░░░░░░ able to achieve agreement ░░░░░░░░ this Garcia NAVARRO I ░░░░░░░░ to get to what ░░░░░░░░ these numbers are and ░░░░░░░░ they mean but there ░░░░░░░░ these two camps after ░░░░░░░░ summit You know one ░░░░░░░░ that you did what ░░░░░░░░ did to sort of ░░░░░░░░ President Trump s ego ░░░░░░░░ have a successful summit ░░░░░░░░ you did And the ░░░░░░░░ says that while our ░░░░░░░░ likes flattery he ultimately ░░░░░░░░ it as weakness and ░░░░░░░░ only appeases him for ░░░░░░░░ long I m sure ░░░░░░░░ ve seen all this ░░░░░░░░ afterwards RUTTE I was ░░░░░░░░ years prime minister of ░░░░░░░░ so I know about ░░░░░░░░ but I don t ░░░░░░░░ In the end I ░░░░░░░░ to do my job ░░░░░░░░ have to keep the ░░░░░░░░ of NATO together and ░░░░░░░░ biggest ally is the ░░░░░░░░ States That biggest ally ░░░░░░░░ paid since Eisenhower more ░░░░░░░░ Europeans And now for ░░░░░░░░ first time in 65 ░░░░░░░░ we will equalize between ░░░░░░░░ the U S is ░░░░░░░░ and what the Europeans ░░░░░░░░ paying So without Trump ░░░░░░░░ would not have happened ░░░░░░░░ NAVARRO Did you mind ░░░░░░░░ text message that you ░░░░░░░░ him being made public ░░░░░░░░ him RUTTE Not at ░░░░░░░░ because what was in ░░░░░░░░ text message is exactly ░░░░░░░░ I see it One ░░░░░░░░ he did an excellent ░░░░░░░░ on Iran with the ░░░░░░░░ of nuclear facility And ░░░░░░░░ I said in that ░░░░░░░░ message you re now ░░░░░░░░ into another big success ░░░░░░░░ is the NATO summit ░░░░░░░░ will commit to 5 ░░░░░░░░ spending And this is ░░░░░░░░