Trump Threatens NATO Expulsion for Spain Over Defense Spending Shortfalls: Implications for Alliance Funding Requirements

Oct 10, 2025 04:32 am CST

Former President Donald Trump has suggested Spain could face expulsion from NATO due to insufficient defense spending, following the alliance's new five percent GDP target requirement. After successfully pressuring NATO to increase spending commitments in June, Trump identified Spain as a "laggard" nation, despite Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's insistence that Madrid shouldn't need to meet the full percentage. This highlights ongoing tensions over burden-sharing within the transatlantic alliance.