Hegseth Criticizes NATO Allies, Announces U.S. Troops Review in Europe

C-SPAN: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announces a six-month review of U.S. forces in Europe and steps up his criticism of NATO allies and their commitment to increasing defense spending. Hegseth accused NATO of being a “paper tiger,” saying it needs to be transformed back into a “real military alliance that’s focused on hard power and real deterrence–a NATO 3.0.” Hegseth says the alliance drifted away from its core defense mission to focus on other issues like climate change. He also criticizes Europe’s migration policy and expanding welfare programs at the expense of defense spending. “NATO lost it’s way. NATO 2.0 was the era of distraction, deindustrialization, and demilitarization. It was an era of freeride,” he says. Hegseth praises those allies who have increased their defense spending and calls on all of them to hit the goal of 5 percent of their GDP.