NATO officials try to convince themselves summit was a success, liken Trump to 'old uncle' who went 'nuts'

NATO summit opening ceremony.
(Image credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

President Trump's attendance at the NATO summit in Brussels wasn't exactly smooth sailing, but it went about as well as European leaders had hoped given their concerns, officials told Axios on Thursday.

Perhaps the disastrous G7 summit had NATO allies expecting more aggressive conflict with the U.S. leader, making it a relief when Trump merely badmouthed the treaty agreement, criticized Germany, and falsely claimed that everyone had promised to up their defense spending. One senior European official said that NATO members didn't take Trump completely seriously when he began talking about increased spending.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.