Joe Biden Rips Donald Trump's 'Dumb' Comment

President Joe Biden slammed former President Donald Trump's comment about NATO as "dumb" and "shameful" on Tuesday while speaking at the White House.

During his remarks, Biden also urged Congress to pass the bipartisan aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

Context

Biden's remarks on Tuesday were in response to Trump's speech in South Carolina over the weekend where he spoke about NATO members who insufficiently contribute financially to the military alliance and Russia's ongoing war with Ukraine. Trump, who remains the front-runner to win the Republican presidential nomination, sparked backlash with his remarks as he appeared to recall a conversation with an unnamed politician he described as "one of the presidents of a big country" and added that the anonymous leader had asked whether the United States would protect the NATO nation if Russia attacked.

"I said, 'You didn't pay, you're delinquent?'" the former president told the crowd. "In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills."

What We Know

In his brief remarks at the White House, Biden took aim at Trump over his comments, warning that, "The worst thing is, he means it. No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. 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."

Additionally, Biden called on the House Republicans to act quickly to approve the $95.34 billion aid package which passed the Senate by a vote of 70-29 earlier on Tuesday, warning House Speaker Mike Johnson and his colleagues that their actions will be remembered long in the future.

"And I say to House Republicans: you got to decide. Are you going to stand up for freedom? Or are you going to side with tyranny? Are you going to stand with Ukraine? Are you gonna stand with Putin? Are you going to stand with America or Trump?" Biden said.

Views

Trump's remarks about NATO drew substantial attention, with Democrats and Republicans voicing disagreement.

Republicans such as Former Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley have all spoken out condemning Trump's comments.

In addition, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday, "Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and forceful response. Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S. and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk. I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the U.S. will remain a strong and committed NATO ally."

Meanwhile, Trump has doubled down on his NATO comments, issuing another strongly worded criticism on Monday. In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested NATO has to be stronger in getting money from other countries now he is no longer in the White House.

"I MADE NATO STRONG, and even the RINOS and Radical Left Democrats admit that. When I told the 20 Countries that weren't paying their fair share that they had to PAY UP, and said without doing that you will not have U.S. Military Protection, the money came rolling in. After so many years of the United States picking up the tab, it was a beautiful sight to see.

"But now, without me there to say YOU MUST PAY, they are at it again. We are into helping Ukraine for more than 100 Billion Dollars more than NATO. We have nobody that they respect, and they insist on paying far less than we do. Wrong, NATO HAS TO EQUALIZE, AND NOW. THEY WILL DO THAT IF PROPERLY ASKED," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Newsweek has reached out to Trump's campaign and the White House via email for comment.

What's Next?

As the foreign aid legislation has been approved by the Senate, it will now also have to pass the House before President Biden can sign it into law. However, Speaker Johnson has insisted the additional aid must be linked to further measures to combat illegal immigration, but a bipartisan package seeking to do this was torpedoed last week by Republican hardliners who deemed it insufficient.

Update 2/13/24, 2:56 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.