WASHINGTON ― Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said world leaders, diplomats and defense officials don’t know what to make of President Donald Trump, leading them to question whether the U.S. can be relied on.
Speaking from the 53rd Munich Security Conference, Kasich said leaders are saying, “We’re just not sure” about America’s alliances.
“We can hear from the vice president, we can hear from Gen. [James] Mattis, we can hear from Gen. [John] Kelly but we’re not sure about the president and it is vital that the administration be on the same page,” Kasich said, referring to Trump’s defense and Homeland Security secretaries. “There is question that in a time of crisis, where will America be?”
Days before his inauguration, Trump called NATO “obsolete” and said member countries weren’t paying enough during an interview with Germany’s Bild newspaper. On Friday, however, Mattis told conference attendees that Trump has “thrown his full support behind NATO.”
In his interview with CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Kasich said that’s not enough for foreign allies he’s spoken to at the gathering in Munich.
Kasich said Trump needs to say loud and clear that the U.S. stands with the “Western alliance” and stands “strong for NATO.”
“The president’s people have all said it, but frankly, he needs to be heard in a more clear and a more passionate way,” Kasich said. “So it is really critical that they speak with one voice on all these critical matters of national security.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Kasich was speaking on ABC’s “This Week.” It was CNN’s “State of the Union.”