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Democratic leaders fail to back US allies

President Barack Obama and his former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, probably are the last people who should be lecturing Donald Trump about the United States keeping its commitments to other countries.

Trump, the Republican candidate for president, has suggested U.S. military aid to its NATO allies ought to be based on whether those nations “have fulfilled their obligations to us.” The fact that this country shoulders an unfair burden of defending others has been a familiar theme for Trump.

Both the White House and Clinton, the Democrat candidate for president, were quick to criticize Trump. Of course NATO allies should be supported, they insisted.

Less than two years ago, Obama said that “for countries that meet our standards and that can make meaningful contributions to allied security, the door to NATO membership will remain open.” Sounds much like Trump, doesn’t it?

During the same speech, Obama suggested NATO should strengthen Ukraine’s military against Russian aggression. He then refused to provide any such U.S. aid.

And as far as supporting other allies, ask the Israelis about Obama and Clinton. They are ill-suited to criticize Trump on keeping our commitments.

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