Next week, Germans will make a crucial decision in the elections. The Alternative for Germany

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President Trump has faced criticism for claiming that the U.S. accounts for over 70% of NATO’s funding. However, he is correct in his assertion. The official figures on U.S. funding for NATO typically only reflect direct contributions, which represent roughly 15%-20% of NATO’s budget. In reality, the U.S. provides a wide range of additional aid and support, significantly increasing its financial commitment to the alliance.

These contributions include U.S. military bases in Europe, Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP), defense and security assistance, infrastructure support, contributions to NATO missions and operations, strategic airlift and logistics, cybersecurity and intelligence support, ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems, research and development (R&D) for NATO technologies, support for NATO’s nuclear deterrence, troop deployment costs, investment in NATO’s rapid reaction force, space applications, military aid and loans to smaller countries, and nuclear sharing.

By some estimates, when all U.S. contributions are considered, the total could be as high as $700 billion annually.

In terms of NATO-led operations, the U.S. is the largest contributor, covering the majority of personnel, equipment, and logistics costs for missions in Afghanistan, Libya, and Kosovo. Furthermore, the U.S. invests heavily in defense projects that bolster NATO’s collective defense capabilities, including missile defense systems in Europe, cyber defense initiatives, and advanced military technologies.

The U.S. provides extensive surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and special operations forces, which are crucial for NATO operations but are often financed outside of the official NATO contribution data. NATO does not operate its own independent intelligence services like the CIA or MI6. Instead, it relies heavily on the intelligence provided by its member countries, particularly the U.S., which has the most significant intelligence-gathering resources within the alliance. While NATO has structures like the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre (NIFC) and Allied Command Operations (ACO) for coordinating and sharing intelligence, it does not produce its own intelligence assessments or defense reports. Instead, NATO’s assessments are largely based on the intelligence reports produced by the U.S. intelligence community and the Department of Defense. The annual NATO Secretary General’s report includes a threat assessment, but the data used in this report is sourced from U.S. intelligence.

Apart from intelligence, the U.S. bears a large portion of NATO’s logistics costs, particularly for troop movements and transportation of supplies. The U.S. military provides most of the airlift capacity, making it a major contributor to NATO’s operational readiness and mobility. Additionally, the U.S. contributes to NATO’s space-based assets, such as satellite systems for communication, reconnaissance, and early warning—key components of the alliance’s strategic defense that are not included in the common defense budget.

The U.S. also provides military aid, defense loans, and assistance to smaller NATO member countries, helping them meet NATO’s defense standards. This significant financial commitment is not reflected in NATO’s official budget contributions. Moreover, the U.S. funds a large portion of NATO’s joint defense research and development (R&D) programs, supporting technological innovations in areas like cybersecurity, missile defense, and advanced weapon systems, typically through U.S. military and defense contractors.

The U.S. also plays a central role in NATO’s nuclear sharing, providing nuclear weapons and capabilities shared within the alliance. The U.S. has invested heavily in ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems deployed in Europe, including the installation of Aegis and THAAD systems in Eastern Europe.

The U.S. also provides extensive defense and security assistance, particularly to newer NATO members in Eastern Europe. Countries like Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states have benefited from U.S. funding for military modernization, training programs, and the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases. A substantial portion of the U.S. contribution also goes toward infrastructure development, including the construction and maintenance of NATO facilities, airfields, and bases across Europe.

In addition to BMD, the U.S. funds or co-funds many large-scale joint military exercises conducted by NATO, such as “Defender Europe.” While NATO’s common funding budget covers some exercises, the U.S. often bears a much larger share of the expenses. Through initiatives like the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI), the U.S. also spends billions annually to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank, particularly to bolster the defense capabilities of countries near Russia’s borders. This spending is another example of U.S. financial contributions that are not fully reflected in NATO’s official budget.

The post U.S. NATO Funding Much Higher Than Official Contribution Data appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire

By Guy Ciarrocchi
Real Clear Wire

Donald Trump’s Pennsylvania victory was a story within a story. He not only won the state but also changed the GOP path to winning it. His 2024 county map looks nothing like the 1988 winning map of George H. W. Bush, the last Republican to win here before Trump did in 2016. Trump’s 2024 map barely resembles the near-miss 2004 map for George W. Bush, or even the maps of local GOP winners Gov. Tom Corbett (2010) and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (2016).

I was raised in South Philly’s 26th ward and am now a resident of Tredyffrin, in Chester County. The political evolution of both places sheds light on Trump’s victory and the changes in both the Republican and Democratic parties.

In 1995, my wife and I moved with our baby daughter from South Philly to the suburbs – Paoli, in Chester County. When we arrived here, the political climate was ruby red. Our township board of supervisors was 7-0, Republican. Our school board was 9-0. Our state representative, state senator, and congressman were Republicans. The GOP controlled our county courthouse from top to bottom, but for a statutorily required “minority” (Democrat) commissioner. It was customary for Democrats not even to field candidates in local races.

Back home, South Philly’s 26th ward was the prototype of “Reagan Democrat” territory. Usually, my ward voted Republican for President, Governor, and U.S. Senator – but Democrat for Congress, state senate, statehouse, and city council.

In Tredyffrin, 1996 represented the high-water mark for the GOP in presidential elections. U.S. Sen. Bob Dole won 64.5% of the vote running against President Bill Clinton. On the other hand, “centrist” Democrat Clinton carried our former precinct in South Philly – just as he had in 1992 – with 51.1% of the vote.

Since then, both places have moved in different directions.

In 2000 – just four years after Dole defeated Clinton by 35 points – Bush carried our home precinct (Tredyffrin West-3) by less than 7 points. The change we already saw happening to the east, in Lower and Upper Merion Townships and Montgomery County, was coming our way. Bush carried our township and the county, but he lost the state by 4.1 points.

In 2003, I was asked to run for supervisor. Seeing Democratic momentum building, I raised money to make yard signs, sent out postcard mailers, and knocked on doors – though no Democrats had filed to run against me. Many in the local GOP were taken aback at my fundraising and my being so “aggressive.”

In 2004, Bush lost our Tredyffrin precinct by 2%. He held the county but lost the state by 2.5 points. It was the best GOP margin statewide until Trump won in 2016.

I stepped down from my supervisor position in 2005, when President Bush appointed me as a HUD official. A special election was held, and the Democrats won my district seat – and one at-large seat. So, 7-0 had become 5-2. These were the first major cracks in the armor of the GOP stronghold. Ruby red was becoming pastel.

In 2006, the state senate held a special election. In a battle between two county commissioners, the Democrat prevailed. A big crack. That fall, the statehouse seat to our south – for the county seat in West Chester – fell to the Democrats, by 28 votes. Another crack.

By 2019, we were living the mirror image of when we arrived in 1995. Our board of supervisors was now 7-0, Democrat. The school board was 9-0. And our state legislators and member of Congress were Democrats. County offices were all won by Democrats, but for the statutorily required “minority” commissioner, now a lone Republican.

The 21st century Democratic Party counts among its base college graduates and upper-income earners. Chester is the state’s wealthiest county. It’s home to the highest percentage of college graduates and those with advanced degrees. Here you’ll see lots of lawn signs with messages like Hate has no home here and In this house, we believe in science. And lots of Ukrainian flags.

Meantime, among residents back “home” in the 26th ward, crime, failing public schools, and a sense that Washington – and City Hall – didn’t care about them created resentment toward Democrats. GOP victories at the top of the ticket continued – and now expanded to statewide offices. In 2016, Josh Shapiro, the Democratic nominee for attorney general – and now Governor – lost my former precinct by nearly 17 points. This despite Democrats’ huge registration advantage.

In the 26th ward, GOP support grew down-ballot, too. They started carrying candidates for district attorney and even for mayor – when the Philadelphia GOP actually bothered to field candidates.

In 2016, Trump carried my South Philly precinct by 3 points. In 2024, he won by 8.5 points. That was part of the math that got Trump to reach a “historic” 20% of the vote across Philadelphia, on his way to winning Pennsylvania. He used a very different map to do it.

The Democrats have become the party of higher incomes, advanced degrees, and virtue-signaling. The GOP are now the party of the forgotten, wondering why “their” Democratic party stopped focusing on fighting crime, etc.

Our daughter just moved back to South Philly, a few blocks from where she was born. Two homes across the street still have Trump signs in the windows. The flags are red, white, and blue.

The post Seeing PA Go From Blue to Red–Through Two Precincts appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Hours after President Trump called on DOGE chief Elon Musk to “get more aggressive,” Musk announced on Saturday afternoon that an email would be going out soon to federal employees asking them to explain what they had done last week.

Musk ominously stated, “Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation” However, there is some doubt as to whether federal rules for resignations cover the failure to respond to an email.

Musk posted on X, “Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump ’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump’s instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week.

Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2025

Earlier Saturday morning (around 8 a.m. EST), Trump posted in all caps to Truth Social, “ELON IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE. REMEMBER, WE HAVE A COUNTRY TO SAVE, BUT ULTIMATELY, TO MAKE GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. MAGA!”

Saturday afternoon, copies of the email, sent from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), started being posted online by reporters The emails do not include the resignation threat mentioned earlier by Musk:

Subject: “What did you do last week?”

Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11:59pmEST.

Civil servants across the government are getting hit with an email this evening asking them to justify their jobs

Subject: What did you do last week?

“Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.” pic.twitter.com/wI2r2c19Gl

— Allan Smith (@akarl_smith) February 22, 2025

The Trump White House Rapid Response Team chimed in, “Just got this email. Where do we begin?” The post was followed by five of the many things President Trump and his administration accomplished last week:

President Trump signed an executive order to expand access to IVF. https://t.co/iofzyeHUNF

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 22, 2025

The Border Patrol chief announced President Trump’s policies have led to a 94% drop in illegal border crossings. https://t.co/gdA3sCsyab

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 22, 2025

The Trump Administration is ensuring that Maine does not allow men in girls’ locker rooms and sports. https://t.co/KAsmHRk2MB

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 22, 2025

American Federation of Government Employees union (AFGE) President Everett Kelley slammed Musk’s email questionnaire in a statement issued Saturday:

“Once again, Elon Musk and the Trump Administration have shown their utter disdain for federal employees and the critical services they provide to the American people.

“It is cruel and disrespectful to hundreds of thousands of veterans who are wearing their second uniform in the civil service to be forced to justify their job duties to this out-of-touch, privileged, unelected billionaire who has never performed one single hour of honest public service in his life.

“AFGE will challenge any unlawful terminations of our members and federal employees across the country.”

Politico reported the email has been received by workers across the government, “The email appears to have been sent broadly across the government. Employees in the State Department, the National Institute of Health, the General Services Administration, Veteran Affairs, the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies all received a copy.”

The post “What Did You Do Last Week?” Elon Musk Announces DOGE Email Questionnaire to Federal Workers With Ominous Deadline appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Trans activist Blossom C. Brown joined Piers Morgan to push the bizarre idea of a gender-neutral Olympics.

But her bizarre take did not stop there.

Fellow guest Riley Gaines, who has been a champion of protecting women’s sports, asked a question so outlandish she probably thought Blossom would finally admit how ridiculous her premise is.

Should the Paralympics and the Olympics also then be combined if we are going to ignore physical advantages?

Her answer, while bizarre, should not come as a surprise to anyone who has watched efforts to have women canceled from many areas of society, including sports.

Riley Gaines: People like Blossom are exactly why Donald Trump won on November 5th. People, I believe….

Blossom C. Brown: Oh, girl, please.

(Crosstalk)

Blossom C. Brown: Donald Trump rigged the election, which is why he’s sitting in office now.

Piers Morgan: Mute Blossom, please, because you can’t stop talking. Reilly, you respond.

Riley Gaines: People turned out, I believe, in masses to the polls on November 5th to embrace Donald Trump, to embrace the America First agenda, to embrace his cabinet picks.

But more so, I believe people turned out to the polls to reject absurdity.

And that is exactly what the past 30 minutes have been on this program, Piers, is totally, entirely, and thoroughly absurd from top to bottom, saying there should be a gender-neutral Olympics? Are you serious?

 Piers Morgan:Madness.

Riley Gaines:Do you also believe, Blossom, that we should combine the Paralympics and the Olympics? I would love to hear an answer to that.

Piers Morgan: Okay, I’ll ask her. Bring back Blossom. Blossom, should we combine the Paralympics with the regular Olympics? Have them all compete with each other?

Blossom C. Brown: I mean, why not? To go back to Reilly’s point to that last point……

Riley Gaines:  Oh, my Gosh.

Piers Morgan: You are completely insane.

Riley Gaines: Oh, my Gosh.

Blossom C. Brown: Go back to that last point. No, because she actually said something that I wanted to respond to.

Piers Morgan: So no Paralympian will win a medal.

So your diversity, equity, and inclusion turns out to be unequal and doesn’t include any Paralympian or any woman.

Watch:

“People like Blossom are why Donald Trump won!”

Riley Gaines and Piers Morgan are shocked as trans activist Blossom C Brown says ‘why not?’ to combining the Paralympics and Olympics.

https://t.co/aonGLengMl@piersmorgan | @Riley_Gaines_ | @BlossomCBrown pic.twitter.com/7MwQHOkZKB

— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) February 20, 2025

You can watch the full segment here:

The post Bizarre: Trans Activist Says “Why Not?” to Combining Paralympics and Olympics appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.