President Donald Trump has gone from mocking Canada as “the 51st state” and demoting its prime minister to “governor,” to threatening navy invasion of Greenland, to siding with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin over Ukraine’s battle for freedom, to insane tariffs which are making a mockery of worldwide order.
Trump even stated he needs to promote allies nerfed variations of U.S. warplanes.
“We’d like to tone them down about 10 percent, which probably makes sense because someday maybe they’re not our allies, right,” he stated on March 21.
Simply think about how that was obtained by U.S. allies.
In brief, america is, at greatest, an unreliable ally and, at worst, a worldwide menace.
So it is smart that Europe has determined it received’t rely upon america as a navy backstop for its safety, committing practically $900 billion to its huge navy spending spree.
However Europe does need to work with dedicated allies, so it’s pulling in Japan and South Korea whereas shunning the UK and america. Is smart, proper?
The UK left Europe in its ill-fated Brexit gambit (although there may be presently work on a brand new partnership settlement between them), whereas america is actually threatening navy motion towards NATO member Denmark in Trump’s bid to annex Greenland.
Moreover, the Trump administration threatened to dam the switch of U.S. components for F-16s throughout the president’s hissy match with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It’s normal in weapons contracts for a purchaser to get approval to switch weapons programs to 3rd nations.—nobody needs to see their weapons find yourself within the fingers of hostile nations.
But the mere menace is a problem to Europe’s sovereignty, notably because the U.S. authorities has broadcasted that it not shares Europe’s values.
Nobody is fascinated with working with a United States that may activate a dime relying on the whims of fool voters in Pennsylvania or Wisconsin, and the GOP is definitely not fascinated with stopping loopy despots from flying its banner.
Which ends up in no weapons offers for america. And would you consider that Trump is pissed?
Based on Reuters, U.S. officers instructed European allies that they need them to proceed buying U.S. arms, regardless of current strikes by the EU to restrict U.S. producers’ participation in weapons tenders.
And in a gathering on March 25, Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed the international ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia that america needs to proceed taking part in EU nations’ protection procurements.
Effectively, no shit america needs to maintain taking part—however that is the consequence of turning your again in your allies. Trump thinks he can bully the world into submission, however the world has different plans.
Canada is looking for tighter navy cooperation with the EU, whereas the EU is looking for nearer ties with Australia, New Zealand, and India. In the meantime, america is making kissy faces at a pathetic Russia, now relegated to assault Ukraine with donkeys and golf carts.
Europe’s justified shunning of the U.S. arms business is already having penalties.
Based on the Washington Submit, a Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet manufacturing line in Greenville, South Carolina, companies the export market and pumps $1.3 billion into the native financial system yearly.
Now Greenville County, which Trump handily received in 2024, is bracing for the fallout as U.S. allies name for boycotts towards U.S. weapons.
Maybe nothing foreshadows the financial penalties of Trump’s belligerence higher than the state of the U.S. inventory market.
Let’s begin with Lockheed Martin, which makes F-16 amongst different weapons:
In the meantime, that is German weapons producer Rheinmetall:
As common, Trump has an uncanny means to harm his personal supporters.
