Trump vows to halt U.S. trade with Spain: ‘They’re a wasted cause’

(Background) U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) / (C) Prime minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, speaks during a press conference during the NATO summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) — (Background) U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (L) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) / (C) Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, speaks at a press conference during the NATO summit on July 08, 2026, in Ankara, Turkey. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
9:26 AM – Wednesday, July 8, 2026

President Donald Trump has called to dissolve trade between the U.S. and Spain, branding the country a “wasted cause.”

Speaking during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, Turkey, alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, Trump said, “Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore by the way.”
“Spain is a terrible partner in NATO,” he continued. “They don’t participate, they don’t pay. I don’t want anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please. Including visits.”
“Watch them come running back. Oh, they’ll come running back,” he added.

.@POTUS: “Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore by the way… Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don’t participate, they don’t pay. I don’t want anything to do with Spain.” pic.twitter.com/3prqux6p54
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026

He also contended that the country treated Rutte “terribly,” and that the alliance “shouldn’t carry” Spain any longer.

“Don’t even talk to them. They’re hopeless,” he said, seemingly directed to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “They’re bad people … They make so much money with us, and we’re going to see that they make a lot less.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s office said it was treating Trump’s comments on Wednesday as “business as usual” and had no intention of changing its “excellent” trade relationship with the U.S., Reuters reported.

Trump has consistently criticized NATO member countries over their lack of spending on their own defense compared to the United States. He set a goal for each member to spend 5% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense.

The group agreed to hit the 3.5% mark by 2035, though few of the members are projected to reach the goal.

While the allies committed to more than double their defense spending last year, Spain was the sole member refusing to adopt the target, which Trump called “terrible” at the time.

Spain spent 2.1% of its GDP on defense in 2025, up from 1.4% in 2021, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

“Has anybody looked at how badly the country of Spain is doing,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post in April. “Their financial numbers, despite contributing almost nothing to NATO and their military defense, are absolutely horrendous. Sad to watch!!!”