Trump's last shock rally: I told NATO countries “I would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell it wants with you if you don't pay your dues to the Alliance”

Putin can start rubbing his hands. To understand what a Trump victory could mean, no flights of fancy are needed: just listen to what the former American president repeated at a political rally that took place on Saturday in South Carolina, when it was night in our country. Trump himself recalled when he told NATO leaders that he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to countries that had not paid their dues to the alliance.

The video is widely circulating and is already viral, the White House had to intervene, calling Trump's comments “frightening and deranged”. The former president had said exactly this, as if it were a laughable story: «One of the presidents of a great country stood up and said: “Well, sir, if we don't pay and we are attacked by Russia, will you protect us?” “I said, 'Didn't you pay? Are you in arrears? He replied: “Yes, let's say it happens.” “If you don't pay you're a criminal. No, I wouldn't protect you, in fact I would encourage them to do what they want. You must pay””.

Andrew Bates, a White House spokesman, believes that “encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and reckless – and endangers America's national security, global stability and our domestic economy.”

According to Phillips P. O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of Saint Andrews, «Trump's admission that he would be happy to encourage Putin to attack Europe should destroy all hopes that the Republican Party is somehow saveable. Democrats should take two bold steps to reach out to sane Republicans.” Adam Schiff, a Californian congressman who has long campaigned against Russian interference in the 2016 US elections, bitterly comments that Trump «is more interested in enhancing himself and pleasing Putin than in protecting our allies», and this «would be enough to make make Reagan sick.” And David Frum, commentator for The Atlantic, sums up the sad story this way: «Draft headline: Trump says he would “encourage” Russia to attack Europe. Subtitle: Republican leader vows: “he will not protect” NATO allies from invasion».

But Trump unchained doesn't care enough about Reagan's memory and doesn't seem willing to stop. You won't be able to say, this time, that you weren't warned.