Former President Donald Trump asserted this week that leaders of NATO member nations expressed significant affection and respect toward him during a recent summit, even telling him they "love" him. Trump relayed these sentiments to reporters following the conclusion of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
"If you could’ve seen the respect and the love in the room,” Trump stated. “And it’s love really for the country, for our country. I don’t want to say me because you’ll say, ‘Oh, he’s so conceited. He’s such a conceited person.’” He added, however, that the leaders said, “Sir, we love you.” Trump speculated that the leaders might have had ulterior motives, acknowledging, “Maybe, I don’t know, maybe they’re trying to get to me.”
This claim of a warm reception from allies comes after a period of public friction. During the summit, Trump reportedly threatened Spain, considered reducing U.S. troop presence in Europe, and reiterated demands for U.S. control over Greenland. His tenure has been marked by public criticism of U.S. allies and personal insults directed at various world leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump has previously accused European nations of exploiting the United States, stating last year that the European Union was formed specifically to disadvantage the U.S. Critics and observers have pointed to instances where world leaders have appeared to laugh at Trump, both privately and publicly.
Given this history, Trump's accounts of secret expressions of love and respect from these leaders have been met with skepticism by critics. Online reactions from individuals expressed disbelief, labeling the former president as delusional and a liar, questioning how such a figure achieved the presidency.