Jeremy Hunt on Trump: ‘Don’t poke the bear unless you’re ready for it to pounce’
Jeremy Hunt tells The News Agents why he believes Trump’s threats on pulling the US out of NATO need to be taken seriously, and why an increase in contributions from the UK could help convince him to remain.
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In brief…
- Jeremy Hunt says the most “destabilising” threat Trump has made is to pull the US from NATO, where it is one of the largest contributors.
- He tells The News Agents that Trump is “genuinely angry” at what he sees as a rip-off for the US.
- He says the world is safer when America is safer, and that the UK needs to not “poke the bear” and only stand up when it can “actually make a difference”.
What’s the story?
Jeremy Hunt – a man who has held some of the most important jobs in UK politics – says he believes Donald Trump’s next move as president may be to pull the US out of NATO.
The US currently gives 3.4% of its annual GDP to NATO, the third highest percentage in the world, but Trump has previously threatened to pull its membership and support, which Hunt says is a very real possibility.
“Of all the things that are threatened by Donald Trump, there is one thing that towers above everything else, which is US commitment to NATO,” Hunt tells The News Agents.
“That is the thing which actually would be the most destabilising.”
He says only one person wins if Trump pulls the US out of NATO – Vladimir Putin.
Hunt adds that the UK must increase its GDP spending on defence to 3%, as he believes that if Trump sees the UK contribute a similar amount into NATO as the US does, he could be persuaded to remain.
The UK currently gives 2.3%, with a promise from the Labour government to raise this to 2.5% at a future, unspecified, date.
“The benchmark we have to have in our mind is, what is the deal that keeps the US in NATO,” Hunt adds.
Why does Trump want to pull the US out of NATO?
Hunt says he disagrees with Trump on many issues – including his recent comments on turning Gaza into a "riviera", and pulling the US out of the World Health Organisation, the Paris Climate Accord and other global bodies.
“This is a man who is a disruptor, and there are going to be lots of things that we disagree on, but in that context, you have to be very clear-sighted about the things you can change and the things you can’t,” he says.
“American commitment to NATO is something where I really do believe that if Europe increases defence spending, to around 3% of GDP, President Trump would happily recommit to NATO.
“Trump feels that America is being ripped off by the Europeans when it comes to defence, and he is genuinely angry.
Hunt describes Trump’s desire to quit NATO as a “real, credible threat.”
After his January 2025 inauguration, Trump's first acts included numerous executive orders to bring down government spending. Many of these were controversial, such as ending all diversity, equity and inclusion roles and schemes in government.
Hunt says more than a third of defence spending in the EU is paid for by contributions from the US.
“I think there is a paradox about Trump, which is that he does lots of things that people profoundly disagree with, but in the end, all of us do have – deep down – a feeling that a stronger America means a safer world,” says Hunt.
“If after four more years of Trump we end up with peace in Ukraine, Europe spending more on defence and a China that is more worried about crossing America's red lines, then you might be able to argue the world is indeed safer.”
What does the future hold for Trump and the UK?
The UK has yet to come under direct fire from Trump, and more specifically the tariffs he has imposed on various countries across the world.
It will be indirectly affected by his recent announcement of a 25% tariff on all steel imports into the US, with the UK steel industry estimated to make around half a billion a year selling goods to America.
But Hunt says the UK needs to stay silent on this one.
“It's a mugs game, if we think that by retaliating, we will get Trump to change his mind,” he says.
“If you actually look at the proportion of US GDP accounted for by UK goods exports, it is 0.3% – so we have precisely zero leverage.
He says the UK needs to decide when and where to pick its fights, and where it can “actually make a difference”.
“We do well out of free trade, and we should remember that, and it's not good for us if the world goes protectionist,” Hunt adds.
”You should not poke the bear unless you are prepared for the bear to pounce on you and you're ready with your countermeasures.”