‘What the f***?’: Trump questioned why US was part of NATO, according to book
Cami Mondeaux
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Former President Donald Trump once questioned his then-chief of staff John Kelly why the United States was a member of NATO, according to a new book.
Shortly after Kelly became Trump’s chief of staff in 2017, the four-star Marine general often found that the former president “had no grasp on the basics of American foreign policy,” according to the new book Donald Trump v. The United States by Mike Schmidt.
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“Why did we go to war in North Korea?” Trump asked Kelly, according to the book obtained by Axios. “Why the f*** are we in NATO?”
Kelly would then explain to Trump that several countries sought to create an alliance in an attempt to deter Russia, according to the book. However, the explanation reportedly left Trump “confused.”
“What the f***?” Trump said.
Such an interaction would lead Kelly to confide in some of his aides to lament that Trump would refuse to acknowledge others’ expertise.
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“He is incapable of saying, ‘I don’t know anything; I need some advice,’” Kelly would tell his aides, according to the book.
Donald Trump v. The United States details unreported scenes from inside the Trump White House as several aides sought to “contain the most powerful man in the world as he shredded norms and sought to expand his power,” according to the book’s description. The book was released on Tuesday.