Fact-check · Aug 17, 2026 · Donald Trump
“It's costing us billions and billions of dollars to protect not only them, but other countries. Look at NATO. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars protecting Europe.”
MISLEADING
What the record shows
U.S. total defense spending is ~$1 trillion (2026); U.S. accounts for 62% of NATO's combined budget (~$980B). No official DoD allocation isolates 'cost to protect Europe.' Estimates of incremental overseas deployment costs range ~$150B/year, but this includes all global commitments, not Europe alone.
Sources
- Charted: The U.S. Dominates NATO Defense Spending
- NATO defense spending US vs EUCA 2026 | Statista
- NATO countries defense expenditure 2026 | Statista
- Defence investment and NATO’s 5% commitment | NATO Topic
- Global military spending rise continues as European and Asian expenditures surge | SIPRI
- NATO defense spending by country 2026 | Statista
From: President Trump Greets Lifeguard Ryder Williams
Vote Unbiased checks what officials say against government data — BLS, BEA, Census, Treasury, the Fed — with sources cited. Every speaker, every party, same standard. See the data →