President Donald Trump just got the ultimate vindication from an unlikely source: NATO's own Secretary-General Mark Rutte is now admitting what Trump has been hammering European allies about for nearly a decade - they're completely dependent on American military might and can't defend themselves.
In a blunt speech that would make Trump smile, Rutte delivered a harsh reality check to European nations, warning they're "dreaming" if they think they can field a military force capable of defending the continent without massive U.S. support. The NATO chief didn't mince words: European nations simply lack the resources and industrial base to go it alone.
"Good luck defending Europe without the U.S.," Rutte essentially told the freeloading allies who have spent decades living under America's military umbrella while Americans foot the bill.
Trump's 'America First' Strategy Paying Off
This admission comes as President Trump begins his second term with renewed focus on making NATO allies pay their fair share. For years, Trump has called out European nations for failing to meet their 2% GDP defense spending commitments while expecting American taxpayers to subsidize their security.
The timing couldn't be more perfect for Trump's negotiating position. With a NATO chief - who ironically has become one of Trump's "fiercest defenders in Europe" - publicly acknowledging European military weakness, Trump holds all the cards in upcoming alliance discussions.
"European nations simply don't have the industrial capacity or resources to defend themselves - they need us more than we need them."
This is exactly the kind of honest assessment that the Washington establishment and mainstream media have been denying for years. They attacked Trump as "damaging NATO" when he was actually forcing a long-overdue reckoning with reality.
America First, Not America Alone
Patriots should see this for what it is: validation of Trump's America First approach to foreign policy. We're not isolationists - we're smart negotiators who refuse to be taken advantage of by so-called "allies" who won't pull their own weight.
With European leaders finally admitting they can't defend themselves, will they start paying their fair share? Or will they continue expecting American families to sacrifice for their security while they spend on social programs instead of defense?