Trump says other countries should pay for their own defense...on Larry King Live in 1987. Link.

[op2]

There are probably more things online like this. It's interesting to see someone give all these opinions on national TV decades before he got into politics.

 

[WVPATX]

Personally, I believe our allies should help with a couple of things. First, NATO members have a treaty obligation to use 2% of their GDP on defense. Some, including Germany, are not doing so and must live up to that obligation. Germany is only providing 1.19% of their GDP on defensive spending, for example.

Secondly, if the U.S. is providing military assistance to countries by having military bases (e.g. Korea) and other assets in their country, they should help to, at a minimum, defray the cost of that defense.

 

[mneilmont]

There are probably more things online like this. It's interesting to see someone give all these opinions on national TV decades before he got into politics.

Where is it written that the US is to provide world protection at no cost to the benefiting countries? As a super power, I think we are obligated to encourage peace between countries. That service is not at no cost to the beneficiary.