President Donald Trump demanded Wednesday that the United States cut off trade with Spain, sharply escalating his criticism of the longtime NATO ally after Madrid refused to fully commit to the alliance’s new defense spending target.
Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump called Spain a “wasted cause” and accused the Spanish government of relying on the alliance’s protection while failing to contribute enough to collective defense, writes Fox News.
NATO leaders agreed at the summit to raise the alliance’s defense spending benchmark to 5 percent of gross domestic product, a target that includes both core military spending and related security expenditures. Spain stood alone among member nations in publicly resisting a firm commitment to the full goal, instead pressing for more flexibility in how it meets NATO capability requirements.
Trump repeatedly singled out Spain during his remarks.
.@POTUS: "Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore by the way… Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don't participate, they don't pay. I don't want anything to do with Spain." pic.twitter.com/3prqux6p54
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026
“Spain is a wasted cause,” Trump said. “We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way.”
He then went further, calling for the halt to include travel.
“Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits.”
The president argued that Spain has not carried its share of the NATO burden.
“They don’t participate, they don’t pay. I don’t want anything to do with Spain,” he said.
Trump also appeared to direct aides to move quickly, though it was not immediately clear whether he was announcing a formal policy or expressing frustration at the summit.
“I don’t want to do any more trade with him. All right? Take it immediately. Don’t even talk to them.”
The remarks marked one of Trump’s most direct threats against a NATO ally over defense spending, a subject he has emphasized throughout his presidency. He has long argued that European governments have taken advantage of American military power while failing to spend enough on their own defense.
Trump predicted that Spain would eventually seek to restore economic ties with the United States.
“They’re hostile about it, and let’s see how hostile they remain when they call up and they, ‘Please, please, we want to trade with you, sir,’” Trump said. “They make so much money with us, and we’re going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them.”
A sweeping trade cutoff with Spain would likely face significant legal and logistical complications. Spain is a member of the European Union, whose trade policy is handled at the bloc level rather than through individual bilateral arrangements with each member state.
The White House had not immediately released details on whether any trade restrictions were being prepared. Fox News Digital reported that it had reached out to the White House, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Spanish embassy for comment.
The dispute comes amid broader tension between Washington and Madrid. Earlier this year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran as an “extraordinary mistake” and called for de-escalation. Spain also showed its true colors and blocked the United States from using the jointly operated Rota Naval Base and Morón Air Base to support offensive operations against Iran under Operation Epic Fury, arguing that the strikes lacked sufficient international legal support and that the bases could not be used for unilateral military action.
