Trump's disturbing NATO visit exposed something allies already know

At the NATO summit in Ankara, the danger was visible before Donald Trump even reached the microphone. He stepped off Qatar's Air Force One gripping the handrail, wandered off the blue carpet, and had to be physically guided back into place by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Then the words caught up with the image. Trump admitted he almost skipped the summit because NATO allies did not support his Iran attack, praised Erdogan while considering a return of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, dismissed Ukraine's suffering as something that "doesn't affect the United States," threatened Europe over Greenland, and showed once again how quickly his weakness becomes someone else's opportunity. At home, his Justice Department was threatening election officials over a nearly nonexistent noncitizen voting crisis, while his interference in the World Cup turned one of America's rare shared joys into another reminder that under Trump, even the rules of a soccer match can become political property.

Based on the events of 7-7-2026

The Breakdown:

* Trump arrived in Ankara on Qatar's Air Force One at 2:15 p.m. local time and appeared physically uncertain as he gripped the handrail walking down the stairs.

* Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeted Trump on the tarmac before the two began a ceremonial walk along a blue carpet.

* Trump repeatedly drifted from side to side, stopped, and appeared disoriented during the walk toward Turkish military personnel.

* Erdogan reached under Trump's arm, redirected him back toward the carpet, and pointed him toward the microphone on live television.

* The White House later posted edited arrival footage that cut out the moments where Trump appeared lost and had to be guided.

* Asked about possible U.S. troop drawdowns from Europe, Trump instead complained that NATO allies did not support his strike on Iran.

* Trump said he was "very disappointed with NATO" and suggested he might not have attended if the summit had not been hosted by his "friend" Erdogan.

* Trump said the United States would consider selling Turkey F-35 fighter jets, even though Turkey was removed from the program in 2019 after buying Russian S-400 air defense systems.

* When asked about risks from American technology sitting alongside Russian systems, Trump said he had "no concerns at all about anything" and praised Turkey's roads.

* Erdogan told reporters Trump had already promised him five jets, while the White House declined to clarify whether that was true.

* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the United States not to transfer F-35s to Turkey, warning it would upset the regional balance of power.

* Trump said he would lift CAATSA sanctions on Turkey because "we don't want to sanction friends," despite Turkey's Russian defense purchases.

* On Ukraine, Trump said Russia's war "doesn't affect the United States" and complained that images of the battlefield did not "help the look."

* Trump renewed threats over Greenland, saying it should be controlled by the United States and warning Europe that America could remove soldiers from the continent.

* Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected Trump's Greenland demand, while Finland's president answered with the line, "Be more Arctic, be more cool."

* Erdogan gained legitimacy, potential access to advanced U.S. aircraft, sanctions relief, and a NATO spotlight while opposition journalists were denied accreditation and Turkish citizens were arrested.

* Trump's Justice Department sent letters to election officials in all fifty states and Washington, D.C., threatening possible prosecution over noncitizen voting.

* Noncitizen voting is already illegal, and Brennan Center research has found it accounted for roughly 0.0001 percent of votes in examined jurisdictions.

* Trump called FIFA's president to push for reversal of a U.S. red card, admitted he did not know what a red card was, and still got the automatic World Cup suspension lifted.

* After Belgium beat the United States, Belgian players mocked Trump's YMCA-style dance and their football association posted "Overturn this," turning the moment into a global punchline.

This was not just a strange diplomatic visit, a reckless policy promise, an election intimidation campaign, or a sports controversy. It was one pattern repeating across every part of American life: a president who cannot separate public responsibility from personal grievance, who treats allies as props, authoritarians as friends, democratic institutions as obstacles, and shared national moments as things to bend around himself. But the more visible that pattern becomes, the harder it is to ignore. People who may not follow NATO, sanctions, or election law saw it in the World Cup. Allies saw it in Ankara. Voters can see it before November. That recognition matters, because a country can still choose clarity over chaos, truth over spectacle, and democracy over one man's need to dominate every room he enters.

This commentary represents my personal opinions and analysis of matters of public concern, informed by publicly available information. Any references to individuals constitute opinion and commentary protected under the First Amendment.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

I'm Heather Claney Reese, and you're listening to Hope for America, where every day I bring you the truth about our politics, our country, and the forces trying to destroy them. Together, we cut through the noise, expose the lies, and stay focused on what really matters, fighting for the survival of our country. At 2.15 yesterday afternoon, the President of the United States emerged from the darkened hold of his new Qatari Air Force One in Ankara, Turkey. He carefully made his way down the stairs, gripping the handrail tightly and watching each step before placing his foot. Once on the tarmac, Donald Trump grasped his hands together and broke into a huge grin as he greeted Turkish President Erdogan. The two shared a brief private exchange before beginning the ceremonial walk towards a line of Turkish military personnel waiting for the official welcome. As they walked along the blue carpet, Trump repeatedly drifted from side to side instead of following the path directly ahead. At one point, he grew increasingly disoriented and stopped altogether, staring into the distance. Ergon quickly reached beneath Trump's arm and redirected him back towards the carpet and pointed him in the direction they were headed, and continued guiding him forward until they reached the microphone. Still looking uncertain, Trump allowed the physical guidance from Erdogan on live television without any hesitation or apparent awareness of the image it projected to the rest of the world. This unusual moment captured not just how confused and feeble Trump appeared, but also the close relationship between the president of the United States of America and one of the world's longest serving authoritarian leaders. Within hours, the White House posted video of Trump's arrival on social media, but the footage had been edited. The moments where Trump appeared lost, where Erdogan had physically steered him back into position, were cut from those ones. They were somewhat still visible on the longer format ones on the White House YouTube channel. They were already covering for him before he had spoken a single word at the summit. And what he said once he did start speaking was far more alarming than what the world had watched on the tarmac. Seated beside Ertagon in Ankara's presidential compound, a reporter asked Trump whether the United States was planning further troop drawdowns from Europe. He did not answer clearly. He was not thinking about the future of the alliance, and he was thinking about one thing. He feels that NATO allies refused to support the war he started against Iran without consulting any of them, saying, I was very disappointed with NATO. He went on to say, and frankly, if it weren't held in Turkey, where my friend happens to be a very strong leader, a very strong person, it's possible that I wouldn't have attended. And then he turned to Iran. We weren't treated well because we did something in Iran. He said, We don't need anybody's help. I didn't even want the help. They said they wouldn't be there, and we've invested trillions of dollars in NATO. It's the president of the United States nearly skipping the most important defense summit in the world, and he only attended as a favor to an autocrat. An Erdogan collected his payment almost immediately. Trump announced that the United States would be considered selling Turkey F-35 fighter jets, the most advanced aircraft in the American arsenal, despite the fact that Turkey was removed from the program in 2019 because it purchased Russian S-400 air defense systems. Here's the thing though, Trump is the one who did that. He's the one who did these sanctions. He's the one who made this decision, or at least was the president when these decisions were being made. And he made them for a very real reason, and nothing has changed. And when a reporter asked whether he had concerns about American technology sitting alongside Russian weapons, Trump said, I have no concerns at all about anything. I mean, he's a leader in a country that he's made a much better country, much better, powerful country. You see, I mean, it's beautiful. You get off, the roads are beautiful, it's an amazing thing. So it appears that he evaluated a major national security decision based on road quality and the beauty of a country. Erdogan then told reporters that Trump had already promised him five jets. The White House would not clarify who was telling the truth in that moment, and we'll just have to wait and see. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on Fox and Friends and urged the United States not to transfer the jets, saying that Erdogan calls openly for the annihilation of Israel and that the sale would upset the power balance in the Middle East. Trump also announced he would lift sanctions on Turkey imposed under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, a law designed specifically to punish countries that do business with Iran, Russia, and North Korea. We're going to be taking the sanctions off, Trump said. We don't want to sanction friends. It's very simple. Simple. Sanctions designed to protect the United States from its most dangerous adversaries, lifted as a gift to a man who runs Russian air defense systems on NATO soil. That's how he treats authoritarians that are his friends. We know how he treats our allies that have democracy behind them. And then came the troubling comments about the war Trump promised he would end on day one of his presidency that is still going strong a year and a half later. When asked about Russia's war in Ukraine, a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions, Trump said, it doesn't affect the United States. Then he continued, I've seen the battlefields. They send me pictures. I actually want to say, don't send them to me. Pete Hag said sends me pictures. I say, Pete, you know what? It doesn't help the look. And then came Greenland, where Trump voiced new threats. That's what hurt my relationship with NATO. Trump said, referring to the alliance's refusal to help him take over a sovereign territory belonging to a fellow NATO member. Greenland should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark. We could remove all of our soldiers out of Europe. They'd better be careful. He then warned Europeans to be careful with immigration and energy, adding, if they're not careful with those two things, they're not going to have a Europe anymore. Danish Prime Minister Met Fredrickson responded simply and directly, this is not going to happen. Finland's president offered the best reply of the day. Be more Arctic, be more cool. What we witnessed yesterday in Ankara was not just one strange moment on a carpet. It was a preview of how Trump's decline is reshaping the most important relationships on the planet. The opportunists are taking what they can. The allies are compensating for him, and our adversaries, the ones who wish us ill, are advancing while he gives them cover. There are three kinds of leaders in the world right now. And many were at the summit with Trump. Each one showing us something different about the danger we are in. The first were those opportunists. Erdogan got almost everything he wanted yesterday. Access to F-35s, it sounds like, sanction relief, legitimacy on the world stage, and a NATO summit where opposition journalists were denied accreditation, while hundreds of Turkish citizens were arrested ahead of the event. The Council on Foreign Relations described NATO as having become a collaborator in blatantly undemocratic conduct. And then there's the second group, the Allies trying to hold the alliance together while managing a president who is visibly coming apart mentally and physically. European leaders are now being forced to think beyond the issues at hand and perform for a president that is to be handled instead of being an active participant in conflict resolution. He has lost the trust and is now seen as a liability. This summit was not really about advancing NATO's mission. I mean, everyone wanted it to be that, but it turned into something about having to survive Trump's presence at all. And every hour these leaders were managing his ego, his confusion, and his impulses was an hour they were not spending on nuclear proliferation, Arctic security, Ukraine's air defense, or the stability of the Strait of Hormuz. His incapacity is not just embarrassing, it is consuming the bandwidth that should be protecting the world. And then the third category was the adversaries who benefit the most from all of it. That's like Vladimir Putin receiving a 91-minute call from Trump days before the summit, a call the Kremlin described as businesslike and constructive. Then Trump walked into NATO and said the war in Ukraine doesn't affect the United States, while also telling the world he does not even want to see pictures of the devastation. He is not simply failing to confront Russia, he is helping Russia by making Ukraine's suffering sound irrelevant to American interests and to the world. The damage wasn't limited to what was happening in Turkey, though. While world leaders were dealing with the consequences of Trump's presidency overseas, his administration was creating new consequences for American democracy back home. Trump's DOJ sent letters to top election officials in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., warning they could face criminal prosecution over non-citizen voting and demanding a response within five days. The problem is that non-citizen voting is already illegal under federal law. Every state already has procedures in place to prevent it. And repeated studies have found it to be extremely rare. The Brennan Center's research found that it accounted for roughly, see if I can get this, 0.0001% of votes in the jurisdictions they examined. This was not a response to a genuine crisis. It was the creation of one to fit their narrative and to be able to point yet another fabricated crime in the direction of their favorite enemy, immigrants. The purpose of these letters was not to improve election security. It was to plant doubt in the minds of the public and send a message to the people responsible for administering our elections. If election officials begin looking over their shoulders, worried that every routine decision could trigger a federal investigation, the system itself becomes weaker. You do not have to prove widespread fraud if you can convince enough people that it probably exists, even when the proof proves otherwise. Even Utah's Republican lieutenant governor called the department's behavior truly bizarre. Arizona Secretary of State called it insulting to suggest that election officials were not already doing the jobs. This was about the federal government inserting itself into elections that have always been administered by the states. And the timing matters too. We are now less than four months away from the midterm elections. Our last election, Trump repeatedly said the presidential election had to be too big to rig, encouraging overwhelming turnout because large participation makes election outcomes more difficult to challenge. And now his administration is moving in the opposite direction. Every headline about imaginary fraud, threat directed at election officials, and every effort to undermine confidence in the system risks making Americans less likely to participate and more likely to distrust the outcome before a single ballot has been passed. Smaller ballot pools also make whatever corruption Trump may or may not be planning easier to carry out. And even with all of the destruction and cruelty that Trump has unleashed on the world, we had a reprieve this past week with the World Cup reminding Americans and international visitors alike that the United States is, as CNN said, far more welcoming and complex than its bitter political caricature. There was joy and connection. There was a moment where it felt like maybe we could come together for something beyond our leaders. Tim Reim, the American defender, called the team a true representation of what America is, a melting pot of people, of personalities, of characters. And for a brief moment, the World Cup gave people a chance to feel something good about this country again. And then Trump took that from us too when he called the FIFA president and pushed to overturn a red card issued to an American. He admitted publicly, I didn't know what the hell a red card was, but he wanted it reversed anyway. And FIFA, for the first time in more than 60 years, according to reports of the World Cup history, suspended the automatic one-match ban. Ted Cruz thanked Trump publicly for getting rid of that ridiculous red card. They had deployed the full apparatus of the federal government to overturn a soccer call. There's reports that he had the team of lawyers looking into it. And that act snapped everyone out of it. That brief window of connection and pride, that feeling that maybe the world could exist beyond the ugliness of this moment and our leaders was gone. Instead of ending on a high note, Trump reminded everyone exactly who is in charge and how little the rules mean to him. And Belgium responded in the best way possible. Upon their win against the United States, the teammates broke into Trump's embarrassing YMC body shifting dance. I can't even repeat it. It's just so absurd. And in the locker room afterward, they did it again, singing along to the village people. The Belgium Football Association posted a photo on Instagram with two words overturn this. Trump cursed trended on social media within minutes. People laughed about it, but the joke reflects something much deeper. The more Trump inserts himself into America's biggest moments, the more these moments seem to become consumed by him instead of the people they were meant to celebrate. The more his presidency reaches beyond politics and into our finances, communities, institutions, sports, and even the small moments of joy we look forward to, the more Americans begin to recognize a pattern. Chaos and division follow him everywhere. Losses follow him everywhere. And eventually the thing itself stops being about what it was supposed to be about and starts becoming about only Trump. The World Cup was supposed to be one of the few things that could still bring people together. And of course, we knew that there was corruption even in that, but it still worked because people came together. They saw each other as human beings. And what Trump did at the end, well, he created a greater divide. But what he also did was he woke up more people to the reality of what life is like under Trump, what the future holds, not just for us, but for the world. People who didn't follow politics but do follow sports were enraged. They saw a deteriorating person who finds satisfaction and havoc, who has the lost the capacity to engage with the world as it actually is, and who drags every room he enters down to his level, which is very low. And in November, they will remember this and vote. And that is why I still have Hope for America and you should too. Since writing this, Trump has just gotten worse. We're seeing even more destruction on the world stage. He's saying things that make absolutely no sense. And he is further creating a divide, not just here at home, but across the world. And I think back to those early days with the soccer matches and the teams kind of taking over cities in the United States. And that gave us a really good opportunity to see people outside of the world, how they view us, but for them to see what it really means to be an American. And that's something that I hold on to every single day because we as Americans are not our president, just like so many other countries are not their president. And I try to think about that when I think of Iran. I don't think of their leaders, their horrible leaders and what they're doing to the people. I think of the people who just want to live a good life. But what Trump has also done, and now we're hearing that the war is back on, the ceasefire has essentially ended. And I think about what Trump did was he created our next group of extremists in Iran because they came together for their Ayatollah's funeral, right? There's it was a huge turnout. And by bombing Iran and hurting the people there, hurting their resources, but killing their family members, we've actually turned the tide over there. We've actually created people who now are behind the new Ayatollah, who we have not seen, who did not go to the funeral for his father. Trump is creating more division. He's creating more extremism, and he's creating a world that is more destabilized and more dangerous for everybody, not just with the USAID and taking away resources for people, which Pete and I talked about on our Rational Response podcast, but the whole entire world, and we're seeing it. And I want to point back to Congress. I didn't have time to write about this, but Congress could stop this. JD Vance could rally people to stop this. But instead, we have somebody who is making no sense sitting in important meetings, and our world leaders are having to manage him and his mental deficits instead of making the world safer. This is what's happening. This is why the midterms matter so much. And this is why I ask you to please speak out publicly online and in your communities and make sure that as many people as you know are going to vote. We have got to take back Congress. And by taking back Congress, again, this is to me is not a Republican or Democrat thing. We need to make sure that the people who are filling these seats are against Trump and everything he's doing. We need people on the right side of history. And right now, those are the Democrats. That's just how it is. And remember, no matter how dark the days get, I will be here every single day. And together, we will always find hope for America. I'll see you tomorrow.