ANKARA, Turkey — President Trump on Wednesday escalated his criticism of Spain, threatening to halt “all trade” and tourism with the country over Madrid’s reluctance to increase military spending and its limits on US operations during the Iran war.
Speaking to reporters alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte before a full day of meetings at the alliance’s annual summit, Trump sharply condemned Spain’s role within the bloc. “Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,” he said.
The president went further, calling Spain “a terrible partner in NATO” and accusing the country of failing to contribute enough. “They don’t participate, they don’t pay. I don’t want to have anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits… Watch them come running back,” Trump said.
Trump insisted the US could walk away from commercial ties with Madrid without consequence. “We don’t have to trade with them. I don’t want to do any more trade with them, alright? Immediately. Don’t talk to them, they’re hopeless, bad people,” he added.
He then suggested Spain would quickly seek to restore relations if Washington followed through. “Let’s see how hostile they remain when they call up and they [say], ‘Please, please. We want to trade with you, sir. We want to trade with you, sir,’” Trump said.
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“They make so much money with us and we’re going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them,” the president continued.
The office of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who joined Trump and other leaders at a group dinner Tuesday night in the Turkish capital, sought to play down the remarks “as a matter of routine.” It said Madrid “maintains an excellent social, cultural, and economic relationship with the US, and we have no intention of seeing that change.”
Sánchez’s office also noted that the United States currently has a trade surplus with Spain, exporting more goods to the country than it imports. It further emphasized that trade policy for Spain is handled through the Brussels-based European Union, which manages economic relations on behalf of its 27 member states.
The White House and Treasury Department did not immediately release additional information about possible actions against Spain, and it was not immediately clear how Trump might impose business or travel restrictions.
Trump has significant powers to temporarily impose tariffs, though a Supreme Court ruling in February curtailed his authority, and any long-term actions against Spain would likely face legal challenges.
An imposition of travel restrictions would be even more exceptional, as nearly 4.5 million Americans visited Spain last year. Currently, the US government only bans Americans from traveling to North Korea.
