John Bolton: It Would Be a ‘Catastrophic Mistake’ for U.S. to Leave NATO

EXCERPT:

BOLTON: “It would be a catastrophic mistake for the United States. It wouldn’t mean simply the end of NATO, although that would be the inevitable consequence. It would cause our allies around the world to doubt our commitment to them in Japan, South Korea, Australia, any country that relies on the United States for mutual security. Trump doesn’t get that, because he doesn’t fundamentally understand alliances. He thinks we’re defending the Europeans and they won’t pay us. He doesn’t understand that mutual security means everybody is more secure. And that there’s strength in alliances. Alliances can be a pain in the neck to manage, but if they serve the national interest, as ours do, NATO in particular, to get out of it will cause negative consequences for the United States you can’t even imagine.”