Trump's Strong-Willed Speech on His First Anniversary in Office, Questioning NATO and Reprimanding Norway

On the one-year anniversary of his presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump held a press conference lasting more than an hour and a half in the White House briefing room on Tuesday, covering topics ranging from foreign affairs, defense, economy, to personal political evaluations. He remained ambiguous about the possibility of the United States acquiring Greenland, once again questioned whether NATO allies treated the United States fairly, and reiterated his dissatisfaction with not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, while defending his tariff policies. These remarks quickly caused unease among allies and directly impacted the financial markets, with the U.S. stock market showing significant declines in the early trading session on Tuesday.

This press conference took place on the one-year anniversary of Trump's inauguration, seen as an important occasion for him to comprehensively restate his stance on foreign policy and security. During his speech in the White House press room, Trump touched on immigration policy, economic performance, the situation in Venezuela, and repeatedly mentioned former President Joe Biden, using this to contrast his administration's direction with that of his predecessor. The entire briefing lasted over 104 minutes, far exceeding the usual routine statements, and the content appeared scattered and lengthy.

In the question-and-answer session, the issue of Greenland became one of the focal points. A reporter directly asked, "How far will the United States go in obtaining Greenland?" Trump did not give a clear response, only replying, "You'll find out." This brief and ambiguous answer immediately sparked speculation about whether the United States might take stronger political, economic, or strategic measures to achieve its goals.

Trump has repeatedly spoken about the Greenland issue recently and has posted multiple private messages with foreign leaders on social media, causing diplomatic controversy. One message reportedly from French President Emmanuel Macron reads, "I don't understand what you're doing regarding Greenland." This post was interpreted by the public as Trump deliberately revealing the doubts of allies regarding his policies, bringing to the surface issues of trust between allies.

During the same press conference, Trump was also asked about his message to the Norwegian Prime Minister and his feelings about not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He stated, "I have lost a lot of respect for Norway." And emphasized that he strongly believes that Norway has substantial control over the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump said that he had "solved eight wars," and resolving international conflicts was "easy" for him. He said, "I didn't do it for the Nobel Peace Prize." He also added that he is currently trying to resolve the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, he later insisted, "No matter what they say, Norway has huge control over the Nobel Peace Prize."

According to the institutional design, the Nobel Peace Prize is selected by a five-member independent committee appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, not directly decided by the Norwegian government. The Norwegian embassy in the United States reiterated to U.S. media that "the Norwegian government does not participate in the selection of Nobel Peace Prize laureates."

Trump did not accept this explanation. He again told reporters, "I have lost a lot of respect for Norway... I think Norway has huge control over who gets the Nobel Peace Prize, even though they deny it."

Trump also claimed that he should have received the Nobel Peace Prize for ending multiple wars, rather than it being awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. He said, "You know, I actually should have received the Nobel Peace Prize for every war, but I don't say that. I saved millions of people, don't let anyone tell you that Norway doesn't control everything." However, he also praised Machado for donating the Nobel medal to him, calling her "a good woman," and stated that the award had lost its "prestige."

On defense and security issues, Trump reiterated his contributions to NATO, emphasizing that the United States bears significant expenditures within NATO, while again questioning whether NATO allies would fulfill their commitment to collective defense if the United States were attacked.

"We have spent a lot of money on NATO, I know we will definitely save them, but I really doubt if they will come to save us," Trump said, adding, "NATO must treat us fairly."

According to Article 5 of NATO, an attack on any member state is considered an attack on all members. This clause was activated only once, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when European allies joined the U.S. military action in Afghanistan.

Trump's tough stance on Greenland and his comments on imposing tariffs on several allies quickly reflected in the financial markets. On Tuesday, the U.S. stock market fell sharply, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 682 points, or 1.5%; the S&P 500 index fell 1.5%; and the Nasdaq index dropped 2.2%.

Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to rule on whether Trump can legally implement his tariff policies under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. The New York Post reported that the ruling could be delayed until mid-February. Trump stated in the press conference that he was "anxiously waiting" for the decision and admitted that if he lost, the government might have to refund the large amount of taxes collected.

Despite facing legal and diplomatic pressures, Trump still firmly believed that the tariff policy was beneficial to the United States. He emphasized, "Because of the tariffs, we have great national security and great revenue," otherwise "China would take our lunch." He also warned that if the Supreme Court ruled the tariffs illegal, the government would take "other ways" to increase revenue, indicating that this dispute would remain unresolved in the short term.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854881534350343/

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