In an interview with CNN's Kasie Hunt, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) claimed that NATO allies have indicated to him that they will likely "re-think" their own security situations should Donald Trump be re-elected in 2024.
The Utah lawmaker -- one of the few Republicans who voted to impeach the former president over the Jan 6th insurrection -- claimed the NATO alliance could be endangered by Trump's return.
"Do you think that the former president, Donald Trump, permanently damaged NATO?" Hunt asked.
"I think what happened with NATO is they have said can we rely on the U.S.? And is this America First idea, which is the president saying to everybody, 'hey, go off and do your own thing,' that approach is one that frightens other members of NATO and they wonder are we committed to NATO and our mutual defense, or are we going to go off on our own? And so they wonder."
"Are they going to get over that?"The CNN host pressed.
"They wonder whether we're going to return to the, if you will, policies we have had for the last 70 years or we're going to take the turn that Donald Trump represented," he replied. "If he were to come back as the U.S. president, I think it would represent a pretty dramatic departure for the world and they would rethink on whether they can count on the United States."
"So you think that the 2024 election will decide this question?" Hunt asked.
"I think if President Trump were to return as president, the nations of the world would say they have to really rethink their own national security and the extent to which they want to be in line with us and be allied with someone else," he elaborated. "You saw that happen during the time President Trump was there. I have had conversations with leaders of other nations now, members of NATO, and they raise this question: we're happy to see you committed to our mutual defense, but we don't know whether you're just committed short-term or whether this is a long-term and permanent commitment. I think it's long-term and permanent."
Watch below:
CNN 03 29 2022 07 31 08youtu.be
