President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of Spain on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, calling the NATO ally “a wasted cause” and urging that the United States end trade and even visits with the country during a public appearance at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
Speaking alongside the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, Trump said: “Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore, by the way.”