What started as apparent calm after the U.S. president initially ignored Spain in his reproaches, has turned into a major diplomatic and commercial crisis. In the presence of the Alliance's Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, Trump directly and forcefully threatened Spain.
His discontent stems from Spain's refusal to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP and restrict the use of the Rota and Morón bases for operations in the Middle East. During a tense press conference, the Republican leader was blunt: "Spain is a lost cause. By the way, we no longer want to do any commercial business with Spain. I want it cut off. Spain is a terrible ally in NATO. They don't participate. They don't pay. I want nothing to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits."
Trump even went as far as to label the country as "a lost case," ordering live the cessation of all bilateral economic activity. Despite the harshness of his words, the Spanish government has opted for a message of "calm and normality," appealing to the institutional strength of the European Union. Different ministers have pointed out that Trump "cannot take any action against an EU country" in isolation, as trade policy is centralized in Brussels, and any attack would require action "against the entire European Union."
Additionally, the government has highlighted a key fact from the trade balance: the United States has a surplus with Spain, so it "benefits more" from the current relationship. Government sources emphasize that "the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and Spain is beneficial for both countries, both commercially and in defense," and ensure that "it is not our intention for that to change." Internally, coalition partners have reacted strongly. The Minister of Consumer Affairs, Pablo Bustinduy, has been one of the most outspoken, stating that "Spain is not a vassal of anyone and should not receive lessons from anyone," asserting that the country is "sovereign" and "free" to set its own priorities.
Meanwhile, Podemos and IU have seized the clash to criticize the arms race. Ione Belarra has denounced that, despite Trump's criticisms, the Council of Ministers recently approved an additional ¤6.2 billion for military spending, warning that "our healthcare money is being used for tanks." Meanwhile, Antonio Maíllo has called for a definitive distancing from NATO, stating that being seen as a "lost cause" by Trump is actually a reason to be "proud."