“We know NATO will fall apart if he [Trump] is elected four more years; it's the single most consequential alliance in the history of the US,” former US Vice President Joe Biden said at the second part of an opening Democratic Primary debate at a cultural centre in Miami, Florida, which was live-streamed by NBC television.
We know NATO will fall apart if Donald Trump is elected for four more years. It’s the single most consequential alliance in the history of the United States.#DemDebate pic.twitter.com/SL2Mq9k161
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 28, 2019
The Democrats were asked how they would repair frayed foreign ties if chosen to replace President Donald Trump. Former Vice President Joe Biden, California Sen. Kamala Harris and California Rep. Eric Swalwell said Thursday that they would reach out first to NATO alliance members to reinforce those ties.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders urged a focus on the United Nations, while Marianne Williamson and Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet said they would call upon European allies.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO, including for the distribution of contributions to the organisation among members. POTUS had demanded that all members of the alliance speedily enhhance their defence spending to 2% of GDP. Trump proposed that countries not only fulfil this obligation, but also increase spending to 4% of GDP.
This week’s 2020 Democratic primary debates marked the first time that candidates directly interacted with one another in an unscripted environment.
Former Vice President Joe Biden remains a top choice in the 2020 presidential primary among Democratic voters; however, top tier candidates are narrowing his lead according to a new poll.
Biden is holding on to a 6 point advantage, with 24 percent of Democrats surveyed saying they would vote for him if the primary were held today, according to an Economist/YouGov poll, conducted between 22 – 25 June that included 1,500 US adults.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is close behind Biden, with 18 percent of the vote.
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) ranks third.
The next round of debates is scheduled to be held in Detroit on 30 - 31 July.
