Trump's Windy NATO Arrival: The "Beast" Rolls Out on a Rebelled Red Carpet in The Hague
Trump's NATO Summit: Reminiscent of a Tale with a Magic Flying Carpet - Trump's Arrival at NATO Summit via Flying Carpet: An Update on Trump's NATO Summit Experience So Far
The wind took a brisk turn at the Royal Palace in The Hague during a balmy summer evening, sending a gust that caught everyone off guard and blew the warm welcome red carpet off its course just as U.S. President Donald Trump was about to grace the venue in his armored limousine, "The Beast." With a flash of nerves, the staff and security scrambled to snatch and straighten the mischievous runner and placed it back in its designated spot before the presidential vehicle arrived.
Trump eventually disembarked from his ride, making his regal entrance up the correct steps on the now-reordered red carpet, greeted by King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, and Crown Princess Amalia inside Huis ten Bosch, their palace.
The Hague Summit: A Defense Pact Test with Rutte Taking Center Stage
Over the course of the NATO summit in The Hague, Secretary-General Mark Rutte has remained confident that the U.S. will come through in supporting the collective defense of its partners if an attack were to occur. Reeling off doubt that's been cast on this matter in the past, Rutte announced that the U.S. is fully committed to NATO's joint defense, including Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
The article states that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all, and past remarks by President Trump seemed to put this commitment under scrutiny. During a pre-summit interview, Trump, when asked about Article 5, hedged his response, declaring that there were "many definitions" of the pact and giving the impression that the level of involvement was contingent on allies' actions. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte stated unequivocally that there is no wiggle room in the commitment to aid fellow allies.
Trump and Rutte's Tweet Exchange: A Pre-Summit Proclamation
The conversation about Trump's perceived insistence on a more conditional view of Article 5 was further fueled by a tweet that Rutte had published praising the President's efforts in increasing allies' defense spending. In the tweet, Rutte expressed his gratitude for the tough stance that Trump had taken, resulting in all the allies signing up to a 5% increase in pact spending, deeming it a highly significant achievement for America, Europe, and the world. When asked about this tweet, Rutte stated that he had no problems with Trump publishing his recognition of Rutte's efforts.
- Donald Trump
- USA
- NATO
- The Hague
- Red Carpet
[1] Michael Birnbaum and Griff Witte, "Trump raises doubts about U.S. defense commitment to NATO," The Washington Post, 2018.
- Despite the turbulence during Donald Trump's arrival at The Hague, discussions at the NATO summit focused on the commitment of the United States to the joint defense of its partners, particularly in light of the uncertainty cast on this issue in the past.
- Amidst the fanfare of the red carpet and the sumptuous Royal Palace in The Hague, political leaders extensively debated the defense pact and entertainment revelations, including Donald Trump's stance on Article 5, during the NATO summit.
