Donald Trump on Wednesday night underscored his controversial position that the U.S. would not defend any NATO ally country that does not spend at least 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense.

“I've been saying, ‘Look, if they're not going to pay, we're not going to protect, okay? And Biden who said, ‘Oh, this is so bad. This is so terrible that he would say that.’ No,” said Trump at a rally in South Carolina, adding that he looked at the defense budgets of each country and said “nobody’s paying their bills.”

“One of the heads of the countries said ‘Does that mean that if we don't pay the bills, that you're not going to protect us?’” Trump recounted. The former president then replied, “‘That's exactly what it means. I'm not going to protect you.’”

While Trump has come under pressure from President Joe Biden and international allies about his comments that he originally made on Saturday night, they have largely been met by Republicans at home with nods of approval, shrugs or efforts to downplay his........

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