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Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed concerns over the United States’ commitment to NATO following remarks from former President Trump.

Trump, at a campaign rally, stated he had threatened NATO allies with the encouragement of Russian aggression if they failed to meet their defense spending obligations, declaring he “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to financially delinquent countries.

Responding to these remarks, Gen. Brown assured in an “NBC Nightly News” interview with Lester Holt that the US remains steadfast in its support for NATO, emphasizing, “We have a strong alliance. This year is the 75th anniversary of NATO, and I think we have a responsibility to uphold those alliances,” and underlining that “US credibility is at stake with each of our alliances, and US leadership is still needed, wanted and watched.”

This comes as reaction to Trump’s comments has been critical from various government and Western officials. President Joe Biden condemned Trump’s rhetoric as “appalling and dangerous.” He added, “If my opponent, Donald Trump, is able to regain power, he is making it clear as day that he will abandon our NATO allies if Russia attacks and allow Russia to ‘do whatever the hell they want’ with them.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also voiced his concern, stating, “any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.”

Amidst the backlash, Trump doubled down on his stance, arguing on Truth Social that NATO allies “insist on paying far less than we do,” advocating for a rebalance of financial contributions with a firm “America first” approach.