Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate for president, called NATO "obsolete" during a radio interview Monday and said he won't reveal his plan to defeat terrorism in order to maintain "the element of surprise."
The real estate mogul, who is trying to secure a spot on the November ballot ahead of this summer's convention, made the remarks on the
Michael Savage Show.
"NATO is obsolete, and we're spending too much money and other countries are spending almost nothing," Trump said. "We're protecting everybody, and we're the big stupid bully that doesn't know what to do. We're spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars on NATO, and other countries aren't pulling their weight. They're supposed to be pulling their weight, and we're protecting them."
NATO was founded in 1949, and back then the threat was the Soviet Union. Trump said things have changed, and the system has to evolve.
"Today, we need something having to do with terrorism," he said.
Trump was also asked about the Islamic State (ISIS) and whether or not he has a plan to attack the terror group if he were to become president.
"I do have a plan, I actually have a number of different plans because you need alternatives and you want to be unpredictable. This country is so predictable," said Trump, who then explained that President Barack Obama announces his battle plans ahead of time.
"We need the element of surprise. Do you think Gen. George Patton or Gen. MacArthur, do you think they would have gone on your show and said what they wanna do?"
Trump has drummed up a lot of support during his campaign that began last summer, but many Republicans in office —
including Utah Sen. Mike Lee — are not sold on him.
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