Former President Donald Trump delivered an alarming message to U.S. allies during a Saturday rally where he outlined a scenario in which he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to other NATO members.

Speaking to a crowd in Conway, South Carolina, Trump told a story that cast himself as a tough-talking negotiator.

“NATO was busted until I came along,” he began. “I said, ‘Everybody’s going to pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.”

He rehashed the story a few moments later.

“One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, ‘Well sir, if we don’t pay and we’re attacked by Russia, will you protect us?’ I said, ‘You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?’ He said, ‘Yes, let’s say that happened.’ No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want,” Trump said.

“You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills,” he added.

The audience cheered loudly for the former president, who is notorious for failing to pay bills on the campaign trailand in his past business endeavors.

It is not clear whether the scenario Trump described actually happened. Trump frequently takes credit for supposedly pressuring other NATO members into contributing more funding during the course of his first term.

But it’s a flawed claim.

As The Washington Postand other fact-checkers have noted, NATO member nations pledged to boost their funding over a period of 10 years at a 2014 summit held to address Russian aggression. Direct NATO funding has been increasing since then — although not at the pace needed to reach the goal set in 2014.

The alliance, however, is primarily strengthened through indirect funding, which is funding that member nations spend on their own individual militaries that could be called upon to assist the group if needed. NATO’s Article 5 states that member nations must treat an attack on one as an attack on all.

As of last year, Trump would not have the power as president to unilaterally withdraw the United States from NATO.

While he has made various comments about potentially doing so in the past, Congress passed legislation in December barring any president from withdrawing the U.S. from the organization without congressional cooperation.

The move came amid ongoing efforts by a far-right faction of Republicans to cut back or stop U.S. funding to Ukraine. The Eastern European nation, which is seeking NATO membership, has been fending off a Russian takeover for nearly two years.

On Saturday, Trump suggested the $95 billion aid package to Ukraine and Israel currently making its way through the Senate should instead take the form of a loan. He successfully pressured Republicans to kill a larger aid package that would also address U.S. immigration earlier this month.

Nikki Haley fires back at Trump for asking where her husband is

During a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, Donald Trump — who is rarely joined by his wife Melania for campaign events — made a low blow at his opponent Nikki Haley's personal life, and she didn't take long to respond.

Speaking to potential voters, Trump went into a rant about Haley and her husband Michael, saying, “Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away. What happened to her husband? Where is he? He’s gone. He knew.” And what wasn't mentioned in discourse on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after his comments were made, Haley was happy to fill in herself.

"Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about," she wrote in a post to X, along with a clip of Trump's tirade. "Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief."

As CNN points out, Michael Haley is deployed in Africa with the South Carolina Army National Guard in support of the United States Africa Command, his second active-duty deployment overseas. The outlet also underlines the fact that former first lady Melania Trump has not joined her husband for any public campaign events since his presidential announcement in November 2022 and has not appeared alongside him at any of his court appearances.

Melania Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Pic Sparks Wild ‘Photoshop’ Conspiracy Theory

Former First Lady Melania Trump made her first public appearance in a while at a party in Mar-a-Lago alongside her husband, Donald Trump.

Many have anticipated Melania's return to the public and questioned her commitment to Trump's re-election campaign.

However, since photos of Melania's Mar-a-Lago outing hit the internet, it has sparked wild conspiracy theories about the image being "Photoshop" and claims that Trump and Melania have a strained relationship.

Melania Trump Makes First Public Appearance Since Losing Her Mother

 

A new photo of Melania Trump has gone viral online, sparking wild conspiracy theories about the former First Lady's whereabouts.

Like most of the Trump family, Melania has not been seen actively campaigning alongside her husband, Trump, amid his bid to be re-elected president come November 2024.

Her last appearance was at her mother, Amalija Knavs' funeral in January. However, with her mother now laid to rest, Melania was recently seen attending a Mar-a-Lago party alongside Trump.

In the photo shared by Israeli model Noy Tawill, Melania and Trump could be seen grinning broadly while posing for the camera.

The ex-president had on a classic black tuxedo paired with a bowtie, while his wife donned a stunning, figure-hugging navy blue long-sleeve gown complemented by a silver necklace.

Since posting the photo, multiple people have taken to social media to accuse the couple of photoshopping the image for various reasons.

The Image Has Sparked 'Photoshop' Conspiracy Theories About The Couple

On social media, netizens questioned the image's authenticity, claiming it is likely photoshopped to feature Melania and Trump looking happy together. Amid the criticisms of the image, several have pointed out how ridiculous it is to pick apart a simple photo.

An account that shared the image on X  wrote, "Melania hasn't been seen at a social event with Trump in so long that the propagandists are resorting to photoshopped pics to try and fool people they are together."

Another called out the quality of the image, writing, "That's not even a good Photoshop image, geez! Least they could do is try."

"They have been seen socially once for her mother's funeral when she would not stand next to him or allow him in her car. Once at his seedy beach motel around the holidays. That's it for 12 months. She despises him," a third person noted.

Amid the Photoshop claims, several people defended Melania, noting that she had just buried her mother and had probably been grieving her loss.

"Her mother just died. Before that, she was taking care of her mother, who was dying from cancer. She is grieving. Let her be in peace," one user wrote.

Another said, "No one is photoshopping anything except for you. Imagine having so much hate that you would stoop to this level of dishonesty."

Melania Trump Is Expected To Support Her Husband In His Re-Election Campaign

 

Amid speculations of Melania's whereabouts, her husband Trump stated that the former model will play an active role in his 2024 re-election campaign.

During an interview, Trump praised his family members, especially Melania, and their son, Barron.

He noted that he has received a lot of useful advice from his wife, and she will be "very active" in his campaign. Trump said, "I rely on her for advice and all the others. I think she will be very active in the sense of being active."

In the interview, Trump also spoke about his security concerns for his family. He said they've received many "unfair" attacks since he began his previous term as president, especially as he campaigns for another term in office.

Donald Trump's Secret Weapon Is His Wife

Amid Trump's piling legal battles, his wife, Melania, has been described as his "secret weapon."

The 53-year-old was credited with keeping her husband "calm and focused" amid his legal troubles and giving him a "peaceful life when he needs it."

A source told Page Six, "Melania keeps him on track as a father and has in many ways stepped up to fill the place Ivanka [Trump] and Jared [Kushner] once had. . . She is his most intimate and internal sounding board."

According to the insider, Melania not only wholeheartedly supports Trump's dreams of a second term but also serves as his confidant when he is in need of someone he can trust.

The source added about Melania: "She is obsessively private; she never gossips with even her closest friends, so Trump knows when they talk about important things, it's just between them."