Trump’s threat to NATO allies draws little condemnation from GOP, reflecting his grip on the party

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s claim that he once told a NATO ally that he would encourage Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to “delinquent” members of the group sent shockwaves through Europe over the weekend.

But in Washington, most Republicans downplayed or defended remarks that seemed to invite Russian aggression.

“I was here when he was president. He didn’t undermine or destroy NATO,” said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a longtime defense hawk.

“I think I’ll look at what his actions are rather than what his words are,” said Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, who has been a strong supporter of NATO and of sending additional aid to Ukraine as the country enters its third year of war after Russia’s invasion.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Trump wants to install new RNC leadership, including his daughter-in-law as co-chair </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Wisconsin Republicans eye surprise open congressional seat in strong GOP district </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> How Trump urging Russia to invade ‘delinquent’ NATO members distorts how the alliance works<use xlink:href="#play-icon" xmlns:xlink=«http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink»> </bsp-custom-headline> </bsp-list-loadmore>

As he moves closer to winning the Republican presidential nomination a third straight time, Trump’s tightening grip on the GOP is reshaping the party’s traditional defense of longstanding military alliances and rejection of