In a surprising turn of events, Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, expressed her approval of President Donald Trump's recent dealings with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Speaking on the "Raging Moderates" podcast, Clinton acknowledged the positive strides made in strengthening the relationship between the Trump administration and the leadership of America's European allies.
As reported by the Daily Caller, Clinton was particularly impressed by the commitment made by NATO members in June to increase their defense spending from 2% of gross domestic product to 5% by 2035. This commitment came after Trump exerted pressure on them, and subsequently secured a deal in July for NATO to finance U.S. weapons for Ukraine.
"I actually was encouraged by the events of the last several months," Clinton said. "First of all, the NATO commitment by individual member states to increase their defense spending is very welcome. Its something that prior administrations have certainly sought."
Clinton also lauded the willingness of European countries to support Ukraine by purchasing American weapons for their defense. She viewed these developments as a clear indication of an improving understanding between the Trump administration, the European allies, and their leaders.
"I think all of that is a very good signal that there is beginning to be a better understanding, both by the president and the people around him, as well as by the leaders of our European allies, that there can be common ground amongst us," she added.
In a July 10 interview with NBC News, President Trump confirmed that NATO would finance U.S.-supplied Patriot missile shipments to Ukraine. This arrangement, he said, was agreed upon at the June NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also been vocal in his praise for Trump. He even affectionately referred to him as "daddy" at the summit. Rutte credited Trump with securing the defense spending commitments, stating on The New York Times The Interview in July, "I think when somebody deserves praise, that praise should be given. And President Trump deserves all the praise. Because without his leadership, without him being reelected President of the United States, the 2% this year and the 5% in 2035 we would never, ever, ever have been able to achieve agreement on this.
Furthermore, Chris Cuomo, host of NewsNation, commended Trump on a July episode of The Chris Cuomo Project for his effective foreign policy moves. He awarded the President a B grade on the issue, citing Americas June bombing of Irans nuclear facilities and the presidents deal to get NATO to pay for U.S. weapons for Ukraine. "Iran alone was a great stopgap measure theres no question that the bombing sent a very strong message to the regime," Cuomo said.
The Defense Intelligence Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Iranian government have all generally asserted that Americas strikes caused substantial damage to Irans nuclear program.
This, coupled with the positive developments in NATO, paints a picture of a Trump administration that is making significant strides in foreign policy, much to the surprise of even its staunchest critics.
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