President Trump Threatens To Cut Off ALL Trade With NATO Ally He Calls A ‘Wasted Cause’

At the NATO summit in Ankara, President Trump turned a defense-spending fight into a direct trade threat.

He picked one ally by name and threatened to cut off America’s trade relationship with it.

That ally is Spain.

Speaking Wednesday alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President Trump called Spain a “wasted cause” and a “terrible partner,” and said the United States should stop doing business with Madrid altogether.

You can watch the moment here.

'Spain is a wasted cause; they are a terrible partner in NATO. Cut off all trade with Spain.'

Alongside criticising Spain, Trump criticised NATO allies at the summit in Ankara pic.twitter.com/Ybn7m90nSv

— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 8, 2026

This was not a vague swipe at the alliance. It was a direct shot at one member.

Fox News reported that President Trump demanded an end to trade with Spain and called the country a “wasted cause” during the NATO summit in Ankara, where he was meeting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and pressing allies on defense spending.

Fox tied the remarks to Spain’s refusal to meet NATO’s defense spending target and Madrid’s posture on U.S. military operations against Iran, including its decision to block U.S. use of the Rota and Moron bases during Operation Epic Fury.

That detail is why the threat landed so hard. President Trump was tying America’s market access to concrete alliance behavior: defense spending, base access, and cooperation when U.S. forces are hitting Iran.

President Trump’s message was that Spain wants the protection of the alliance without carrying its share of the cost or the risk. He said Spain does not participate and does not pay.

VIDEO | US President Trump says, "I spoke to Italy… I didn't speak to Spain. Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore by the way."

At NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, Trump singles out Spain over defence spending.… pic.twitter.com/H64YLo8Zp6

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 8, 2026

The threat goes beyond dollars.

The New York Post reported that President Trump threatened to sever both trade and tourism ties with Spain after the NATO summit clash, a move that would hit commerce, travel, and a diplomatic relationship Madrid tried to downplay immediately.

The Post noted the stakes on both sides. The United States runs a trade surplus with Spain, and more than 4.5 million American tourists visited the country last year.

Those figures give the threat real economic weight for airlines, hotels, restaurants, and Spanish companies that count on American customers.

Spain’s government tried to wave the comments off, saying relations with Washington remain strong and pointing out that European Union rules govern trade policy for its member states.

The Post also noted how unusual a travel cutoff against a U.S. ally would be, with North Korea standing as the current example of that kind of restriction.

That EU point is the real friction. President Trump holds some authority to impose tariffs, but broader long-term trade restrictions on Spain would run into legal and policy hurdles because Spain sits inside the EU trade bloc.

So no formal embargo has been enacted. President Trump ordered his administration to pursue cutting off trade and put Spain on notice in front of the whole alliance.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had ordered his administration to cut off all trade with Spain, calling the NATO ally a "wasted cause" over defense spending.

"Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore," Trump said as… pic.twitter.com/cxC7j3ifgE

— Kuwait Times (@kuwaittimesnews) July 8, 2026

For years the NATO fight was a lecture.

Pay your two percent. Carry your weight.

President Trump attached an economic weapon to that lecture. He is telling Spain that the benefits of American partnership and the American market are not free.

If Madrid wants access to the world’s biggest economy and the shelter of the alliance, President Trump is making the price plain. Meet the bill, or lose the business.