Trump right to abandon Nato countries that fail to pay bill, say third of voters
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A third of voters in key battleground states think that the US should abandon other Nato members in a war if they refuse to meet the alliance’s defence spending target, The Telegraph can reveal.
The figure, based on polling commissioned for The Telegraph, suggests that Donald Trump’s criticisms of the institution, which has become the bedrock for security in Europe, are resonating.
While voters strongly support US membership of Nato, a significant proportion believe that the alliance’s collective defence should be reliant on countries meeting a target to spend two per cent of GDP on the military.
The survey also found that the UK is considered the US’s most important ally, ahead of France and Germany, while the largest group of voters think that Europe is too dependent on the US for military defence.
It comes after Mr Trump, who is leading Joe Biden in national polls, falsely claimed that the US paid for “90 or 100 per cent” of Nato defence spending and that he would only stay in the alliance if other countries paid their “fair share”.
The former president has criticised Nato countries, including France and Germany, that do not meet the Nato spending target, and has publicly toyed with the idea of leaving the alliance altogether.
Last month, Mr Trump said he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” with countries that do not spend enough on defence.
Asked whether the US should continue to defend countries that do not meet the target, an average of 31 per cent of voters said that it should not.
Nearly 50 per cent said the US should, while 20 per cent said they did not know.
The research is the latest in a series of polls for The Telegraph by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, tracking the views of voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
Following the outbreak of wars in Ukraine and Gaza, defence has become a major campaign issue for both parties. Nine in 10 voters in those states believe that defence will be important in deciding their vote, and a majority in five of the six said that the US should increase defence spending.
Mr Trump, who polled ahead of Mr Biden in all six states, was thought to be more trustworthy on defence issues, while the Republican Party more generally was trusted more than the Democratic Party.
Philip Van Scheltinga, the director of research at Redfield and Wilton Strategies, said: “There is a strong sense among the American public that Joe Biden has been a weak president, including – or, perhaps, especially – on foreign policy. Voters feel like their country is not seriously addressing the threats it faces, namely China.
“Our polling makes clear that those who will vote for Trump want a stronger United States, with increased defence spending, a greater focus on the threat of China, and, critically, stronger allies.
“Few have picked up on it, but Trump has recently started using the slogan ‘Make America Powerful Again’ in his speeches. That pitch resonates with his voters and shows what could come from a future Trump presidency.”
In an interview with Nigel Farage this week, Mr Trump said his controversial comments about Nato were “a form of negotiation” and committed to remaining in the alliance if other countries increased spending.
Mr Biden has called his rival’s comments “un-American”, while Julianne Smith, the US’s ambassador to Nato, said that “encouraging the Kremlin to attack Nato allies is irrational and dangerous”.
The comments also prompted alarm in European capitals. David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, said talking down Nato allies was “not a sensible approach”.
The latest poll shows that the vast majority of voters in swing states support Nato, with around two thirds responding that the US should remain in the alliance. Between 13 and 16 per cent said the US should leave, with the remainder unsure.
However, it also suggests that voters are unsure about Mr Trump’s scepticism of foreign wars. Given the choice between whether the US should use its power to “seek to be a global force for good” or “only seek to defend itself from direct threats”, a majority of voters said it should be a force for good.
Voters were asked about a series of defence issues, including which country posed the greatest threat to the US and which were its greatest allies.
The largest group of voters in all states said that China was the biggest threat to the US, followed by Russia, North Korea and Iran.
In five of the six states, more voters chose the UK as one of the US’s closest allies than any other country. In Michigan, on the US’s northern border, Canada was more popular.
