Latest news with #Trump-proofed
Business Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
Nato seeks to ‘Trump-proof' summit
NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte hosts from Tuesday (Jun 24) the alliance's annual summit in The Netherlands. As much as a celebration of Western unity, the occasion has assumed one overriding purpose – trying to ensure the event is 'Trump-proofed'. So, although the summit will see more than 30 heads of state and government attending, from countries with a collective population of around one billion, there will be an unprecedented focus on one person: US President Donald Trump. Coming in the context of the US bombing of three nuclear weapon development sites in Iran over the weekend, Nato officials are determined to avoid a repeat of the alliance's 2018 summit in Brussels. Trump upended the meeting then by threatening to withdraw the US from the alliance altogether, if other countries did not get more serious about reaching the 2 per cent of gross domestic product military spending benchmark they had agreed to some four years earlier. His disruption led to what may have been one of the most remarkable ever of Nato's summits, with cancellations of a series of press conferences and bilateral meetings. He not only criticised Nato colleagues in Belgium, but then went on days later to have a very cordial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Fast forward to June 2025 and Trump, back again in White House, is now demanding that Nato allies agree to a target to increase spending to 5 per cent of GDP. This even though the US' own defence spending is around 3.4 per cent of GDP at present, and some key nations including Italy – led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of Trump – are still barely meeting the original 2 per cent target. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up While a number of countries, including Spain, are likely to raise significant concerns this week about the 5 per cent target, the Nato summit has been designed by Rutte to try to give Trump a victory lap. That is because the summit will underline that the debate over defence spending within Nato has changed significantly in recent years since Trump's first presidency from 2017 to 2021. Rutte will have Trump much on his mind throughout the meeting. This especially after the G7 summit earlier this month in Canada, which the US president left early on Jun 16, ahead of the last day of meetings. One of the key implications of this serenading of Trump is, inevitably, that Europe and Canada will eventually carry more of the burden for their own defence. This will give these countries greater influence within the alliance and lead, ultimately, to an overall Europeanisation of Nato, which appears to be supported by Trump. Yet, while Trump has helped influence the debate towards greater military spending within Nato, there are much broader factors that have been pushing European and Canadian increases in defence budgets. Here, it is a combination of Russian military assertiveness, instability in the Middle East and Africa – not just Trump – that has driven this trend. More than anything else, Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 altered defence calculations for Europe. It was a wake-up call for much of the region, which recognised that whereas Russia is estimated to have increased defence spending by some 80 per cent between 2008 and 2014, the counterpart figure for Nato countries collectively was a decrease of around 20 per cent. This stark reality has not only pushed more European countries to meet the 2 per cent threshold. It also prompted Sweden and Finland, after decades of neutrality, to join the Nato alliance. Yet, despite these movements that Trump has welcomed, there is no guarantee the US will stay in Nato during his second presidency. Former Trump officials, including ex-national security adviser John Bolton, have confirmed that the president came close to announcing US withdrawal from Nato during his first term. Despite the strength of the other Nato members, there is no question that a US withdrawal would be a body blow to its future credibility. Behind the scenes, there is scenario planning going on in Europe about the feasibility of a future Nato without US participation. It is possible that the Western alliance could try to keep the military organisation functional for a few years, in the hope that Trump's successor might bring the US back into the fold from 2029. Even if the US under Trump can be kept within the alliance, this upcoming Europeanisation of Nato could in any case herald a new phase in the more-than-75-year history of what is perhaps the world's most successful ever military alliance. It helped the West to not only win the Cold War, but also underpinned the longest period of sustained peace in modern history, with a combined membership accounting for around half of global GDP. So, the good news for Rutte is that the context for the debate about the organisation's future is more positive now than during Trump's first term. Only in 2019 there was widespread concern about Nato's purpose, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying that it had become 'brain dead' as a result of a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, especially the diminished commitment of the US under Trump. This also fuelled splits within the European alliance itself, as illustrated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is one of Putin's strongest supporters in the European Union. He has also voiced opposition to Nato's growing focus on China. Fast forward to today, and Macron has said that Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has woken up Nato with the 'worst of electroshocks'. Moving to the future, there will be multiple further ways in which Rutte is likely to try to 'Trump-proof' the evolution of the alliance and mobilise the membership onto greater effectiveness. Take the example of seeking to grow the club's geographical footprint outside of Europe and North America. This year, top officials from key Western allies in Asia-Pacific – including Australia, Japan and South Korea – have been invited to the summit. Nato has low-level partnerships with all of these allies, building from those bilateral ones that members like the US, UK and France have in the region. Taken overall, Rutte will use the summit to showcase his view that the best way to engage the second Trump presidency is to transform the alliance, including increasing defence spending. While Nato has been given important strategic direction in a rapidly changing security environment under Rutte's leadership, the reforms may still not fully satisfy Trump, who could yet have significant continued concerns about whether the alliance is fit for purpose. The writer is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Musk and Bezos Get Their Billion-Dollar Federal Contracts After Sucking Up to Trump
Billions of dollars in federal contracts have been awarded to Elon Musk's and Jeff Bezos' companies, solidifying the ties between two of the world's richest men and President Donald Trump. The United States Space Force, the military branch Trump created during his first term, has awarded both Blue Origin and SpaceX massive government contracts: almost $6 billion for Musk, and $2.3 billion for Bezos. Musk's company was the top awardee for national security contracts, which SpaceX confirmed on Monday would 'include a mix of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and will take place over a five-year period.' Bezos' Blue Origin has attempted to become a direct competitor with SpaceX—though the two companies are miles apart in terms of impact. Musk's company held over 130 launches last year in comparison to the Amazon founder's four. Musk took a jab at Blue Origin after Space Force's announcement, claiming that the other companies 'aren't there' in terms of completing missions. 'Winning 60% of the missions may sound generous, but the reality is that all SpaceX competitors combined cannot currently deliver the other 40%,' Musk wrote on X. 'I hope they succeed, but they aren't there yet.' Blue Origin's CEO, however, has a different viewpoint. 'We are committed to meeting the heavy lift needs of our U.S. DoD and intelligence agency customers,' Dave Limp posted Friday. Both of the billionaires, however, have shown their allegiance to President Trump in recent weeks. Both had front-row tickets to the president's inauguration in January, and Musk has since become one of Trump's closest advisers. Bezos and Musk have Trump-proofed their other businesses, too. The Amazon billionaire seemingly tightened the leash on coverage of the administration in The Washington Post after Trump's inauguration, the latest drama in the storied newsroom after Bezos banned the paper from endorsing a presidential candidate late last year. The decision singlehandedly caused hundreds of thousands of subscribers to jump ship, decimating the newspaper's business. Alongside its customer exodus, multiple reporters and editors have left. Musk, on the other hand, has used his social media platform, X, as a microphone for amplifying the president's agenda. The two have also kissed the ring when it comes to political donations. Bezos' Amazon donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, while Musk donated a whopping $288 million.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Newsom foe picked by Trump for key prosecutor job vows to 'dismantle' sanctuary state shields
Republican California Assemblyman Bill Essayli is pledging to "dismantle" his state's status as a popular sanctuary for illegal immigrants after President Donald Trump tapped him this week to head up a team of prosecutors for the nation's largest federal district court by population. "I'm excited to get to work and to implement their vision and their mission for the Department of Justice," Essayli told Fox News Digital in a phone interview. "I think the first order of business is reassuring people and reinstilling trust into the Justice Department. I think for the last few years, it's been weaponized, has been politicized, and the President's made it clear that we're going to restore trust into our law enforcement agencies and into the Department of Justice." Essayli, a lightning rod in California legislative politics who frequently spars with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, said his commitment is to "restore law and order" in his new post as U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. "We're going to get back to work," he said. "We're going to go after these transnational organizations, which the president designated as terrorist organizations." California Dem Compares 'Save Girls Sports' Law To Nazi Germany, As Two Trans Athlete Ban Bills Fail To Pass "We're going to go after criminal illegal immigration," Essayli continued. Setting himself up for a potential showdown in the coming months with Newsom, who "Trump-proofed" the state with a $50 million legal fund to protect illegal immigrants in the state, Essayli vowed to "dismantle the sanctuary state status that they've enjoyed here in California." Read On The Fox News App Brandon Richards, a spokesman for Newsom's office, told Fox News Digital in a previous statement that "none of this funding will be used to support immigration-related services for criminals. Period." Additionally, Essayli said as U.S. attorney, his office will tackle public corruption, noting, "I don't think we've had robust public corruption cases and investigations. It's long overdue." When asked if Newsom had reached out to him since his appointment, Essayli laughed. Newsom's 'Unfair' Remark On Girls' Sports Belies Record As Governor: 'Absolute Bulls---' "No," he said. "We don't talk." Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication. Essayli has gone head-to-head with Newsom's administration throughout his Republican career in the state, criticizing the state over its handling of wildfire management, public safety, reparations and, most notably, parental rights in schools. It was not uncommon in the last several years to see Essayli at school board meetings voicing his opposition to policies that prohibited parental notification of their child's gender identity. When asked how he would go about removing sanctuary state protections for illegal immigrants, Essayli responded he will be working "hand in hand" with the Trump Justice Department and Attorney General Pam Bondi. "We're gonna put a plan together," he said. "That's not something I'm obviously prepared to discuss or signal at this point, but I assure you that something will be done, and when we do, it will be very well known in public." Maine Universities Agree To Keep Transgender Athletes Out Of Women's Sports After Trump Admin Pauses Funding Just hours before his appointment to be the next top federal prosecutor in the district that includes Los Angeles County, Essayli introduced Assembly Bill 844, which sought to reverse California's existing law that allows biological males to participate in girls' and women's sports teams corresponding to their gender identity. But the Assembly's Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism rejected AB 844 along party lines on Tuesday. Essayli called the tolerance of trans girls in girls' sports "not just bad policy, it's also a flagrant violation of Title IX and puts California schools at risk of losing billions in federal funding," during the committee hearing. "I believe California will come into compliance with Title IX, either through this legislative process or the court process." He resigned from his post as assemblyman that evening to accept the federal position. In a news release, the U.S. attorney's office said Essayli, born to two Lebanese immigrants, was sworn into the country's largest attorney's office outside of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning. The office, with over 250 lawyers on staff, serves roughly 20 million residents across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Essayli previously founded the law firm Essayli & Brown LLP in 2019 and worked as a federal prosecutor from 2014 to 2018 in the Los Angeles and Riverside offices. During his time as an assistant U.S. attorney, Essayli handled high-profile cases, including the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack and a significant opioid prescription case. Prior to his federal role, he was a deputy district attorney in Riverside County and worked as an associate attorney at Paul Hastings LLP. Essayli's nomination to U.S. attorney requires Senate confirmation, but the president has the authority to appoint someone to the position on an interim basis before Senate article source: Newsom foe picked by Trump for key prosecutor job vows to 'dismantle' sanctuary state shields
Fox News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Newsom foe picked by Trump for key prosecutor job vows to 'dismantle' sanctuary state shields
Republican California Assemblyman Bill Essayli is pledging to "dismantle" his state's status as a popular sanctuary for illegal immigrants after President Donald Trump tapped him this week to head up a team of prosecutors for the nation's largest federal district court by population. "I'm excited to get to work and to implement their vision and their mission for the Department of Justice," Essayli told Fox News Digital in a phone interview. "I think the first order of business is reassuring people and reinstilling trust into the Justice Department. I think for the last few years, it's been weaponized, has been politicized, and the President's made it clear that we're going to restore trust into our law enforcement agencies and into the Department of Justice." Essayli, a lightning rod in California legislative politics who frequently spars with Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, said his commitment is to "restore law and order" in his new post as U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. "We're going to get back to work," he said. "We're going to go after these transnational organizations, which the president designated as terrorist organizations." "We're going to go after criminal illegal immigration," Essayli continued. Setting himself up for a potential showdown in the coming months with Newsom, who "Trump-proofed" the state with a $50 million legal fund to protect illegal immigrants in the state, Essayli vowed to "dismantle the sanctuary state status that they've enjoyed here in California." Brandon Richards, a spokesman for Newsom's office, told Fox News Digital in a previous statement that "none of this funding will be used to support immigration-related services for criminals. Period." Additionally, Essayli said as U.S. attorney, his office will tackle public corruption, noting, "I don't think we've had robust public corruption cases and investigations. It's long overdue." When asked if Newsom had reached out to him since his appointment, Essayli laughed. "No," he said. "We don't talk." Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication. Essayli has gone head-to-head with Newsom's administration throughout his Republican career in the state, criticizing the state over its handling of wildfire management, public safety, reparations, and most notably, parental rights in schools. It was not uncommon in the last several years to see Essayli at school board meetings voicing his opposition to policies that prohibited parental notification of their child's gender identity. When asked how he would go about removing sanctuary state protections for illegal immigrants, Essayli responded he will be working "hand in hand" with the Trump Justice Department and Attorney General Pam Bondi. "We're gonna put a plan together," he said. "That's not something I'm obviously prepared to discuss or signal at this point, but I assure you that something will be done, and when we do, it will be very well known in public." Just hours before his appointment to be the next top federal prosecutor in the district that includes Los Angeles County, Essayli introduced Assembly Bill 844, which sought to reverse California's existing law that allows biological males to participate in girls' and women's sports teams corresponding to their gender identity. But the Assembly's Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism rejected AB 844 along party lines on Tuesday. Essayli called the tolerance of trans girls in girls' sports "not just bad policy, it's also a flagrant violation of Title IX and puts California schools at risk of losing billions in federal funding," during the committee hearing. "I believe California will come into compliance with Title IX, either through this legislative process or the court process." He resigned from his post as assemblyman that evening to accept the federal position. In a news release, the U.S. attorney's office said Essayli, born to two Lebanese immigrants, was sworn into the country's largest attorney's office outside of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning. The office, with over 250 lawyers on staff, serves roughly 20 million residents across the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Essayli previously founded the law firm Essayli & Brown LLP in 2019 and worked as a federal prosecutor from 2014 to 2018 in the Los Angeles and Riverside offices. During his time as an assistant U.S. attorney, Essayli handled high-profile cases, including the 2015 San Bernardino terrorist attack and a significant opioid prescription case. Prior to his federal role, he was a deputy district attorney in Riverside County and worked as an associate attorney at Paul Hastings LLP. Essayli's nomination to U.S. attorney requires Senate confirmation, but the president has the authority to appoint someone to the position on an interim basis before Senate confirmation.
