Donald Trump calls Spain ‘a wasted cause’ and says he wants all trade, all visits, everything with them gone

President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of Spain on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, calling the NATO ally “a wasted cause” and urging that the United States end trade and even visits with the country during a public appearance at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.

Speaking alongside the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, Trump said: “Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way.”

He added, “I’d like to cut it off. Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. Cut off all trade with Spain, please. Including visits. We don’t want anything to do [with them].”

He later said, “They’re hopeless. Bad people.” The remarks came during a question-and-answer session with reporters at the summit, according to Roll Call.

Trump also argued that Spain has not contributed enough within NATO, saying the country “doesn’t participate” and “doesn’t pay.” During the same exchange, Rutte pushed back on part of that characterization, noting that Spain reached NATO’s long-standing benchmark of spending 2% of its gross domestic product on defense and had increased its military spending, while acknowledging that discussions over future commitments continue.

The Trump administration’s growing discord with Spain

Trump’s comments marked the latest public clash between his administration and the Spanish government over defense policy and Iran. According to Trump’s remarks in Ankara, he remained unhappy with several NATO allies over what he described as a lack of support during the recent conflict involving Iran.

Trump said he had spoken with leaders from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, but not Spain. He also criticized NATO over what he said was the alliance’s unwillingness to help the United States regarding Iran.

Trump: "Spain is a wasted cause. We don't want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way. I'd like to cut it off. Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. Cut off all trade with Spain, please. Including visits. We don't want anything to do. They're hopeless. Bad… pic.twitter.com/mcWRBhARjF

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 8, 2026

This follows earlier tensions after Spain declined to allow U.S. military operations connected to Iran to use certain Spanish facilities, according to multiple reports. Spain has also resisted Trump’s push for NATO members to commit to defense spending equal to 5% of GDP, while maintaining that it has met the alliance’s existing 2% target and continues to fulfill its NATO obligations.

Spain, meanwhile, responded calmly to Trump’s latest remarks. According to statements from the Spanish government reported by multiple outlets, officials said they viewed Trump’s comments as “business as usual” and did not intend to alter Spain’s relationship with Washington. The government also noted that trade policy involving Spain falls under the European Union’s common commercial policy rather than being negotiated solely on a bilateral basis.

Reuters also reported that trade experts questioned whether a U.S. president could unilaterally halt all trade with Spain. While the president has broad powers in some national security situations, legal experts told Reuters that a complete trade cutoff would face significant legal and practical hurdles.