Liz Cheney Tears Into Donald Trump Over 'Disgraceful' NATO Threats

Cheney also warned of a pro-Russia faction growing within the Republican Party.

Liz Cheney says Donald Trump’s recent threats against NATO allies demonstrate a “dangerous” misunderstanding of America’s foreign diplomacy.

In a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the former congresswoman told Jake Tapper she was outraged by Trump, who earlier this month said he would “encourage” Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack NATO signatories that aren’t spending enough on defense funding.

“It’s dangerous, it shows a complete lack of understanding of America’s role in the world,” Cheney said. “It’s disgraceful.”

While Trump has repeatedly complained about NATO countries being behind on their “bills,” the alliance doesn’t exactly work that way.

NATO is anchored in the principle of mutual defense, meaning each member country must commit to enough defense spending to ensure their nation’s militaries are prepared to step in if another member of the alliance is attacked.