Here’s a little fact check for Tom Cotton, who is either shamelessly lying or totally ignorant as to what’s happening in his own party. Between nearly a third of House Republicans voting against a resolution supporting NATO and Republican Party leader Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on the alliance, it’s clear the Republican Party has a bigger faction of NATO skeptics than Tom Cotton would like to admit.

Just two weeks ago, nearly a third of House Republicans voted against a resolution to support NATO.

Insider: “63 Republicans vote against resolution expressing support for NATO”

Washington Post: “Just last week, more than 30 percent of House Republicans voted against a symbolic measure reaffirming support for NATO. Their reasons were varied and often not totally apparent, but it followed from years of the GOP tilting toward NATO skepticism — with some not-so-gentle nudging from Trump.”

Washington Post: “Regardless, all of it suggests the party is still evolving on this issue — and certainly not in a pro-NATO direction.”

Donald Trump spent years undermining NATO and cut its funding, and he openly admitted he was ready to ignore Article 5 of the NATO treaty altogether. 

Washington Examiner: “Trump also highlighted the strong-arming he engaged in to convince NATO countries to increase their defense budgets. The former president conceded that he essentially threatened to ignore the treaty’s Article 5 commitment that an attack on one is an attack on all.”

Washington Post: “As president, Trump claimed he supported NATO, but he regularly attacked other countries for not paying enough, and plenty of reporting indicates he wanted the United States to exit the alliance altogether in his second term.”

CNN: “Trump administration to cut its financial contribution to NATO”

Even Trump’s own Nation Security Advisor confirmed Trump likely would have pulled the U.S. out of NATO altogether if he had won a second term. 

Washington Post: “Bolton says Trump might have pulled the U.S. out of NATO if he had been reelected”

Former National Security Advisor John Bolton: “In a second Trump term, I think he may well have withdrawn from NATO … And I think [Russian President Vladimir] Putin was waiting for that.”

As Russia prepared to launch an unprovoked attack on Ukraine, Josh Hawley urged President Biden to drop support for Ukraine eventually joining NATO. 

Sen. Josh Hawley: “Some argue that now is not the right time to ask hard questions about Ukraine’s prospective membership in NATO. But I submit that now is exactly the right time for confronting hard truths. Russia’s buildup on Ukraine’s borders makes apparent just how important it is for the United States to be deliberate about its commitments abroad”

Axios: “Exclusive: Hawley calls on Biden to drop support for Ukraine membership in NATO”

While Republicans are busy following the anti-NATO path that Trump paved for them, President Biden is uniting NATO and our allies across the globe to stand strong in the face of Russian aggression. 

Insider: “US approval in most NATO countries rose by double-digits under Biden compared to Trump, who often criticized the alliance while praising Putin”

Wall Street Journal: “Biden, Allies Aim to Project United Front Against Russia at NATO Meeting”

CBS News: “Biden says NATO has “never been more united” amid Ukraine crisis”

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