Donald Trump may not be a youth favorite, but on foreign policy he might just be speaking their language.
Trump triggered international alarm this week with his comments about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Republican presidential nominee told the New York Times that he would decide whether the U.S. should defend NATO allies based on whether the nations have “fulfilled their obligations to us.”
An unprecedented move that is nevertheless aligned with his campaign theme of “America First,” Trump said he would cancel longstanding agreements unless allies take on more defense costs.
The official NATO guidelines say each of the 28 member countries should spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense, but only five – the U.S., Greece, Poland, Estonia, and the U.K. – currently meet that requirement.
NATO reports that all 27 allies combined spend less than half of what the U.S. spends on defense. While this imbalance has been consistent throughout the history of the alliance, and the gap grew larger after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, NATO reports that “there is an over-reliance by the Alliance as a whole on the United States for the provision of essential capabilities.”
The idea that a President Trump would place financial conditions on defending NATO allies raises concerns among Democrats and Republicans alike, however young voters may favor his more isolationist approach to foreign policy.
Bernie Sanders Democrats, Ron/Rand Paul Libertarians, and young voters in general tend to fear too much U.S. military involvement overseas.
Millennials are more reluctant than other generations when it comes to getting involved in military conflicts abroad. Nearly half say the U.S. should “stay out” of world affairs, according to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
On this issue, Trump’s stance isn’t too far from youth favorite Bernie Sanders, who opposed NATO expansion, and has called it a waste of taxpayer dollars.
“The countries of Europe should pick up more of the burden for their defense,” Sanders said during a primary debate.
In the 2012 election cycle, Ron Paul’s campaign to slash military spending, bring our soldiers home, and secure America first struck a chord with young voters as well.
Although Trump’s attempt to negotiate a better deal with NATO allies would differ from the approaches of Sanders or Paul, this is one issue where he may be able to win over some youth support.
In contrast, Hillary Clinton has pledged to strengthen the alliance and calls NATO “one of the best investments America has ever made.”
