The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has launched a new attack against the government of Pedro Sánchez this Wednesday, escalating a confrontation that goes beyond diplomatic rhetoric, directly affecting the economy and collective security. Just before boarding Air Force One and after speaking to the press outside the White House, the president questioned Spain's loyalty to NATO and raised the possibility of drastic commercial sanctions.
The American president was particularly blunt when referring to the trade balance between both countries. Trump stated that the Sánchez government "are not cooperating at all, they have been very bad." The most serious warning came when suggesting a total economic disconnection, stating that perhaps he will "cut off all trade with them." These statements confirm that Washington has run out of patience with Madrid due to what they see as a lack of systematic collaboration. According to the president, the Spanish government "does not cooperate" on key issues, pointing out that the current leaders "are being very bad" and that is why "we may cut off bilateral trade" imminently.
The central issue of the dispute remains defense spending and commitments to the Atlantic Alliance. Trump reiterated that Spain has been acting this way "for many years." In a new reproach for the lack of military investment, the Republican leader pointed out that Spain has been a "terrible" ally and admitted that he "doesn't know 'what Spain is doing'" within the framework of its international obligations. The criticism has focused on the alleged exploitation of the security provided by the coalition without the economic counterpart agreed upon by the member states.
"They have been very bad with NATO. They receive protection and do not want to pay what they owe," the president declared, directly linking U.S. military protection with the bill that, in his view, Madrid still needs to settle. Despite the harshness of his attacks against institutional management, Donald Trump sought to draw a line between the Spanish population and its leaders.
In an attempt to appeal directly to the Spanish public opinion, he stated that "the people of Spain are fantastic; their leaders, not so much." This idea has been a constant in his statements on Wednesday, where he lamented the lack of alignment with Pedro Sánchez's government regarding military spending: "The Spanish people are fantastic. The leaders, not so good." With this discourse, the U.S. president aims to politically isolate the Spanish government on the international stage while maintaining pressure on the national economy.