Trump threatens to cut off trade with Spain, calling them a ‘terrible partner’ to NATO

President Trump began the second day of the NATO summit on Wednesday by threatening to cut off trade with Spain over its lackluster defense spending and refusal to cooperate on Iran.

Mr. Trump said Spain is a “wasted cause” and he wants to end contact with them completely.

“Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits. OK, we don’t want anything to do — watch them, watch them come running back, all they’ll come running back,” he said during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Mr. Trump excoriated Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the Madrid government refused to let the U.S. use a pair of air bases for the military campaign against Iran. 

Spain also balked at NATO’s target of each country spending an amount equal to 5% of its gross domestic product on defense. The Iberian nation is spending closer to 2%.

Mr. Rutte pushed back on Mr. Trump, saying Spain made a “huge step” by exceeding 2% in defense spending last year, up from 1.4% in 2021.

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Mr. Trump said the country is being disrespectful to the alliance.

“Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don’t participate, they don’t pay,” Mr. Trump said. “I don’t want anything to do with Spain.

“They’re open about it,” he said. “They’re hostile about it.”

It was unclear if, or how, Mr. Trump planned to carry out his threat. 

Spain is a major travel destination for Americans, and it mainly conducts its trade policy through the European Union, which is also its main export market.

The Spanish government took Mr. Trump’s comments in stride, telling Reuters they seemed to be business as usual from the U.S. leader.

The U.S. sold about $39 billion in goods to Spain and imported about $35 billion from the country in 2025, resulting in a trade surplus of roughly $4 billion.