Chicago January 12, 2025
Senator Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, predicted that the U.S. will not leave NATO under President Trump’s leadership. He emphasized his commitment to strengthening the alliance and said his top priority was helping Trump’s team get into place.
Risch expressed confidence that Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, would be confirmed by Inauguration Day. He also pointed out that the NATO founders were right in believing that the nations needed to stand together, especially after Russia’s recent actions.
Risch noted that after Trump’s first term and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO countries started to increase their military spending. However, he believes that 2% of each country’s GDP for defense, a target NATO set, is still not enough. Risch plans to push for even higher spending from NATO allies, saying European nations need to do more.
Regarding Iran, Risch said he would support Trump’s strategy of maximum pressure by tightening sanctions on the country. He criticized the Biden administration for offering Iran financial relief and called for stronger actions to force the regime to make tough decisions due to the mounting pressure both inside and outside the country.
