On his first day in the White House on Monday, Trump answered a question about Spain when discussing NATO during a press conference and showed his lack of knowledge of world politics.
When a reporter asked Trump about what we can expect from NATO countries that spend the least amount of money, like Spain, he responded that Spain’s contribution "is very low".
Immediately after this, the President wrongly stated that Spain was a BRICS nation, which is a group of emerging nations led by Russia and China.
BRICS takes its name from the initials of some its first members, but the intergovernmental organisation now includes Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the aforementioned China and Russia.
"And yet are they a BRICS nation?, Trump initially asked the reporter, only to then state "Spain is a BRICS nation. Do you know what a BRICS nation is? You’ll figure it out."
"If the BRICS countries want to do that, that's OK, but we’re going to put at least a 100 percent tariff on the business they do with the United States," he continued.
Trump on Spain: They are BRICS nation. Do you know what a BRICS nation is? You will figure it out.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 21, 2025
Fact check: Spain is NOT a BRICS nation. pic.twitter.com/uZh4mEKz9i
Trump then again questioned if the reporter knew what the BRICS countries were.
When talking about the 100 percent tariff, Trump was referring to the reduction in the use of the US dollar in global trade. "They'll have a 100 per cent tariff if they so much as even think about doing what they thought, and therefore they'll give it up immediately," he said. He added that this statement should not be seen as a threat but a clear stance on the issue instead.
READ ALSO: What does Trump's return to the White House mean for Spain?
On the same day as Trump’s inauguration, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte congratulated the new President and said that during his second term the Alliance would accelerate investment in defence and military production.
The Republican leader has for a long time stressed that NATO member countries should increase their investment in defence in the face of new threats in global geopolitics.
Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, José Manuel Albares responded to the comments saying that an ally can have their opinion, but that it is a decision that is adopted collectively and, in this case, the amount that was agreed upon was to invest at least two percent of GDP, which Spain aims to do by 2029.
Trump has for a long time told European officials that he wants NATO members to up spending to a total of five percent of GDP.
According to Albares, there are a total of ten countries that still contribute less than two percent of their GDP.
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