In-town pool report #8 - Trump on shutdown/Spain/paying troops
- From
- John Bennett
- Sent
- Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 2:42 PM
Asked if he would support NATO expelling Spain, Trump responded: “I'm very unhappy with Spain. They're the only country that didn't raise up their number to 5% every other country in NATO raised up to 5% and Spain is doing very well off our backs. So I'm not happy with Spain.”
He threatened “trade punishment” against Spain for its defense spending decision, calling it “not nice.”
On paying U.S. troops during the shutdown, Trump contended “I actually have a man who is a very wealthy person. I know that when I tell you this, who called a donor, great gentleman. And he said, if there's any money necessary shortfall for the paying of the troops, that I will pay it, meaning he will pay, how about that?”
On the government shutdown, Trump again blamed Democrats: “They want to a right to extend, but they want $1.5 trillion so they can give it away to illegal immigrants, the people that are invading your cities, and, and many of these people for whatever reason, I mean I understood this, I called it a long time ago.”
POTUS said it doesn’t have to become a prolonged shutdown.
Ongoing. Please check quotes. More TK.
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John T. Bennett
White House Correspondent & Editor-at-Large
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