President Trump opened a new front in his campaign to pressure NATO allies Wednesday, threatening to cut off U.S. trade with Spain after the country refused to fully embrace the alliance’s new defense spending target.
Speaking at the NATO summit, Trump repeatedly zeroed in on Spain, arguing the longtime ally has failed to pull its weight while continuing to benefit from the alliance.
“Spain is a wasted cause,” Trump said. “We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way.”
He didn’t stop there.
“Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits,” the president added.
The exchange came after NATO leaders endorsed a new benchmark encouraging allies to spend 5% of their gross domestic product on defense and defense-related expenditures. According to the provided information, Spain was the only member to publicly reject committing to the full target, instead negotiating flexibility in how it plans to meet NATO’s capability goals.
Trump argued Spain has long enjoyed the benefits of the alliance without paying enough toward its own defense.
“They don’t participate, they don’t pay,” he said. “I don’t want anything to do with Spain.”
He later doubled down.
“I don’t want to do any more trade with him. All right? Take it immediately. Don’t even talk to them.”
.@POTUS: "Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore by the way… Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate, they don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain." pic.twitter.com/3prqux6p54
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026
Trump also predicted Spain would eventually try to repair its trading relationship with the United States.
“They’re hostile about it, and let’s see how hostile they remain when they call up and they, ‘Please, please, we want to trade with you, sir,’” he said. “They make so much money with us, and we’re going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them.”
Hannity’s Highlights
Trump threatened to end U.S. trade with Spain at the NATO summit — the sharpest public confrontation yet between Washington and a major NATO ally over defense spending.
The warning followed Spain’s refusal to fully commit to NATO’s new 5% defense spending benchmark — Madrid’s resistance putting it at odds with the alliance’s revised expectations.
Trump argued Spain is free-riding on the alliance without paying its share — a complaint he has leveled at NATO members for years, now backed by a concrete economic threat.
He predicted Spain would come back to the table seeking to restore trade ties — signaling confidence the leverage will work even if the standoff continues for now.
The remarks marked another chapter in Trump’s long-running criticism of NATO members that spend less on defense. Throughout both of his administrations, he has argued that countries falling short of alliance spending commitments place an unfair burden on the United States.
Any move to significantly restrict trade with Spain, however, could face practical obstacles. Spain is part of the European Union, which negotiates trade policy as a customs union rather than through separate trade agreements with individual member countries.
