Trump Says There’s a Crisis at NATO. He’s Right. And the Crisis is Him.

BRUSSELS — Sitting on the grounds of the new NATO headquarters this week, I felt like I was watching a split-screen TV. Here were NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and numerous other leaders projecting confidence in NATO’s mission, discussing the importance of unity and cohesion, and underscoring the democratic values to which the alliance is deeply committed. And there was President Trump, lobbing threats against our allies and the alliance itself, including that he would “do his own thing” separate from NATO if allies did not meet defense spending targets.

Trump, who has long believed that our alliances are more of a burden than a benefit, was yet again seeking to create a crisis where none existed, purely for his own political benefit and so he could once again prove that he “alone can fix it.” Meanwhile, our 28 allies showed up prepared for the worst but committed to showing NATO’s best.