Defending NATO

The Trump administration's attacks on NATO make us less safe.

“Our message to Denmark is very simple — you have not done a good job by the people of Greenland," - Vice President JD Vance

Standing in Greenland, flanked by U.S. military personnel, Vice President JD Vance did something unthinkable: he attacked a NATO ally.

This wasn’t a gaffe. It was an escalation.

Trump has said the U.S. would take Greenland “100%”—and refused to rule out military force. Now, his second-in-command is laying the groundwork for that promise to become policy.

Maybe this is just a distraction. A stunt to deflect from Trump’s collapsing economy, the shredding of social programs, or the daily circus of his administration. Maybe we, in America, can afford to ignore it.

But our allies in Europe can’t.

They’ve seen this playbook before.

• Vance’s claim that America must take Greenland for “security” reasons echoes Putin’s excuse for invading Ukraine: NATO expansion was a threat to Russia.

• His attack on Denmark’s governance of Greenland mirrors Putin’s narrative that Ukraine’s government was corrupt and illegitimate.

• His pitch to Greenlanders—that they’d be “safer” under U.S. rule—echoes Putin’s cultural argument that Ukrainians are Russian and would be better off as such.

Trump may never follow through on invading Greenland. But in the process, he’s doing something even more dangerous: undermining the most successful military alliance in modern history.

The alliance that has kept the peace in Europe for 75 years. The alliance that gives America global power without global war.

Our support for Russia over Ukraine—combined with open hostility toward a NATO ally—leads to one conclusion: NATO is effectively dead.

And that makes all of us less safe.

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The Goal: Destroy NATO.

First, they went after USAID. Now, they're coming for NATO.

During the campaign, Trump repeatedly threatened to abandon NATO and parroted Kremlin talking points, blaming the alliance for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He and his allies have lied about Europe’s contributions, fueling the false narrative that Americans are being ripped off.

Here are the facts:

• NATO works. For 75 years, it has prevented major wars in Europe. That peace has benefited every American—economically, diplomatically, and militarily.

• It’s not a handout. Europe isn’t freeloading. 23 of 32 NATO countries now meet the 2% defense spending goal.

• The U.S. doesn’t “send” 2% of GDP to NATO. We spend about 3.5% of our GDP on our military. NATO expects members to maintain strong national defense capabilities.

• The actual NATO “common budget” is modest. It funds shared programs like command centers and infrastructure. The U.S. contributes 16%—the same as Germany. All members contribute.

NATO has been an effective alliance, preventing wars and uniting democracies. America is safer because of NATO. Walking away from NATO accomplishes nothing but empowering Putin and Russia.

Putin wants to divide the West. Trump is doing the work for him.

How NATO Benefits the US.

Trump wants you to believe NATO is a one-way street—that we spend billions defending Europe and get nothing in return. That’s a lie.

Here are the facts:

• After 9/11, NATO had our back. The only time Article 5—NATO’s collective defense clause—has ever been triggered was to defend the United States.

• NATO led the mission in Afghanistan, its first operation outside Europe. At its peak, 130,000 troops from 50 countries—mostly NATO members—fought alongside us.

• NATO partners help with counter-terrorism, intelligence, and logistics, making our military stronger and more effective.

If the U.S. leaves NATO:

• We lose our most powerful military alliance—and access to 31 allied militaries, key bases, and intelligence networks.

• Our military costs skyrocket—because we’d bear the global security burden alone.

• Adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran would be emboldened.

• Our global influence would collapse.

Back To Greenland: How To Talk About This?

To many Americans, Greenland might seem like a sideshow.

Politically, focusing on Trump’s disastrous economy and incompetent administration might be better. But this isn’t just noise.

It’s part of a larger, dangerous pattern—Trump is making America less safe.

You don’t need to debate the logistics of Arctic policy or Danish sovereignty. Just connect the dots:

Undermining NATO + siding with Russia + threatening our allies = America less safe.

When this comes up in conversation with friends and family (or on social media), we need to make the case:

An isolated America is a weaker America.
A divided NATO is a gift to Putin.
And Trump is the one delivering it.

The Greenland noise is all a part of this. Let’s make sure people understand that.