FULL VIDEO: Former Defense Officials, Wisconsin Democrats Highlight Importance of NATO in Face Of Trump’s Dangerous Comments
MADISON, Wis. — On Wednesday, former OSCE Ambassador Daniel Baer, Navy Veteran Tracey Sperko, Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, and former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller held a virtual press call highlighting the danger Donald Trump poses to democracy worldwide.
Donald Trump’s support of Russian aggression proves he is unfit to serve as president. While Trump and MAGA Republicans repeatedly bend the knee to Putin and other autocrats, President Biden remains wholeheartedly steadfast in his defense of democracy everywhere.
Watch the full event and see what speakers had to say in part below:
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Daniel Baer: “Most Americans recognize that part of our power in the world comes not only from having a wonderful military, from having a strong economy, but also for standing for our values and our commitments. And the idea that as former President Trump said over the weekend that he would violate those commitments that we’ve made to our close partners, that he would not only do that, but invite others to violate it is just unconscionable. And it makes us weaker in the world, as we try to make partnerships, and protect Americans and our economy going forward.”
U.S. Navy Veteran Tracey Sperko: “Donald Trump is a man who made fun of amputees, he denigrated a family who had lost their son to war. So I don’t feel that he sees people—that he sees us as human beings that live our lives and contribute to this country, as the mothers, fathers, daughters, sons that serve our country. And I will say that the Biden-Harris Administration, they have honored and not denigrated our service. They respect us. And they have put time and energy behind those words, to make sure that our veterans and our military are supported.”
Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski: “Trump, over the weekend, said they can do ‘whatever the hell they want.’ Those were his words, which is actually telling Putin that he can continue his war and violence against democracy. And we know how this can spiral. It can easily lead to other Baltic states, like Poland. And, you know, we as Americans do not support these authoritative regimes. Trump’s comments undercut these American and patriotic values. […] I’m lucky because my great-grandfather immigrated from Poland. […] And I know as a Polish Wisconsinite, I’m not alone in hearing these stories—that Pols across our state have similar stories where they were told about fleeing their country because they were fearful of their life if they would fight for these liberties and freedoms as the result of Soviet oppression. And there are more than 500,000 Polish Wisconsinites in our state.”
Former NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Rose Gottemoeller: “I served at NATO from 2017 through 2019, so I was there for most of President Trump’s first term in office. And we heard some similar points back then. ‘The NATO allies got to pay to play,’ and they started the process at that time, and Trump was very, very tough on them at that time. But he, never in my presence anyway, never said that Putin can do ‘whatever the hell he wants’ with NATO allies who don’t pay up. And to me, this is a step way beyond where he was in the 2017 to 2019 period, and does invite aggression that will affect not only the NATO allies in Europe, but will affect U.S. security as well. Let’s not forget that there are many U.S. troops deployed in Europe in support and in defense of our NATO allies. So, Secretary General Stoltenberg was right when he said the other day, in reaction to Trump, when he said that this will put soldiers at risk across the alliance, including the U.S. soldiers.”
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