President Biden condemns Trump's NATO threat as an 'un-American signal to the world'

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden forcefully condemned Donald Trump's threat not to aid NATO countries attacked by Russia as he implored House Republicans Tuesday to follow the Senate's lead and immediately approve funding for Ukraine.

"The stakes were already high for American security before this bill was passed in the Senate last night," Biden said in prepared remarks from the White House. "But in recent days, those stakes have risen. That's because the former president has set a dangerous and shockingly, frankly, un-American signal to the world."

Biden seized on comments from Trump, who on Saturday recounted telling the leader of a European nation that he would “encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that have not paid money they owed to be in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

"Can you imagine a former president of the United States saying that? The whole world heard it. The worst thing is he means it," Biden said. "No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. Well, let me say this as clearly as I can: I never will. For God's sake, it's dumb, it's shameful, it's dangerous, it's un-American."

The Senate voted 70-29 early Tuesday morning to approve a $95 billion foreign aid bill with defense funding for Ukraine and Israel, but Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has said his chamber won't take the bill up.

Kyiv has said the money is desperately needed to defend itself nearly two years into Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

"History is watching. Failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten," Biden said.

Biden called U.S. membership in NATO "a sacred commitment" and said Trump − the frontrunner to be the Republican presidential nominee in 2024 − doesn't understand that NATO was built on the "principles of freedom, security and national sovereignty."

"Because for Trump, principles never matter. Everything is transactional," Biden said. "He doesn't understand the sacred commitment we've given works for us as well."

Biden said "I would remind Trump and all those who want to walk away from NATO," that Article 5 of the NATO alliance − which considers an attack on one NATO ally an attack on all − has only been invoked once before: when NATO stood by the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

"Our adversaries have long sought to create cracks in the alliance," Biden said. "The greatest hope of all those wishing American harm is for NATO to fall apart. You can be sure that they all cheered when they heard Donald Trump."

Biden added: "Know this: I will not walk. I can't imagine any other president walking away. For as long as I'm president, if Putin attacks an ally, the United States will protect every inch of NATO territory."

Johnson has said the House will not consider the defense spending bill because it does not include security provisions for the U.S.-Mexico border. Congressional Republicans quickly torpedoed border legislation proposed by a bipartisan group of senators last week, arguing the measures weren't strong enough.

Trump followed up his remarks about NATO over the weekend by writing on his social media website Truth Social that the U.S. should stop giving foreign aid “without the hope of a payback.” The idea was endorsed by some Republican senators who voted against the foreign aid bill.

Even Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. – a defense hawk who had been a vocal proponent of the aid – said he would support the package only if the aid was given as a loan: “President Trump is right to insist that we think outside the box," Graham said.

Biden said House Republicans have to decide: "Are you going to stand up for freedom or are you going to side with terror and tyranny? Are you going to stand with Ukraine or are you going to stand with Putin? Are you going to stand up for America or with Trump?"

"Pass this bill immediately," Biden said. "To stand for decency, stand for democracy, to stand up to a so-called leader hellbent on weakening the American security."

Contributing: Riley Beggin

Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden condemns Trump's NATO threat as 'un-American signal' to world