No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.
Stated position. What this official has said they believe on this issue — a sourced claim, shown distinctly from any assessment of what they did. It is never scored and never affects the Integrity Score.
Derived from a tracked promise: “No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.”
Sources
“Trump recounted telling a NATO member: 'You didn't pay? You're delinquent?' 'No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want.' (February 10, 2024, Conway, SC)”
“'No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.'”
“If I were president, I'd be able to negotiate an end to this horrible and rapidly escalating war in 24 hours.”
“While campaigning in 2024 for a return to the White House, Trump claimed he could end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of taking office. He has since acknowledged it has proved much harder than he initially thought.”
“Donald Trump often promised to get a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine in one day, but more than four months since his second-term inauguration that goal looks as far away as ever.”
“First we have to get Russia done”
- The American Presidency Project (UCSB) — Trump RNC Acceptance Speech, Cleveland, July 21, 2016https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-accepting-the-presidential-nomination-the-republican-national-convention-cleveland ↗
“Recently I have said that NATO was obsolete, because it did not properly cover terror, and also, that many of the member countries were not paying their fair share.”
- The American Presidency Project (UCSB) — Trump "America First" foreign policy speech, Mayflower Hotel, Washington DChttps://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/remarks-foreign-policy ↗
“Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and, under a Trump Administration, will never, ever be allowed to have that nuclear weapon. The Iran deal, like so many of our worst agreements, is the result of not being willing to leave the table.”
- White House (archived), May 8, 2018https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-joint-comprehensive-plan-action/ ↗
“Therefore, I am announcing today that the United States will withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.”
- Congressional Research Service (IN12571), June 23, 2025https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IN/PDF/IN12571/IN12571.1.pdf ↗
“On the evening of June 21, 2025, the United States carried out air- and sea-launched strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran”
- Congressional Research Service (IF12106), updated April 9, 2026https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF12106/IF12106.21.pdf ↗
“Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified on March 18, 2026, that Iran has not resumed enriching uranium”
- The White House (archived)https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/united-states-global-partners-liberated-isis-controlled-territory/ ↗
“The territory once held by ISIS in Syria and Iraq is now 100 percent liberated.”
“The U.S. military launched retaliatory strikes on Friday against dozens of ISIS targets in Syria, according to a statement issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on social media.”
“For the first time, all Allies reported defence expenditure that met or exceeded the 2014 target of 2% of GDP.”
“Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending by 2035.”
- ABC News — Full text of Trump's 2016 RNC acceptance speechhttps://abcnews.com/Politics/full-text-donald-trumps-2016-republican-national-convention/story?id=40786529 ↗
“Lastly, and very importantly we must immediately suspend immigration from any nation that has been compromised by terrorism until such time as proven vetting mechanisms.”
- American Presidency Project — 2024 Republican Party Platformhttps://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/2024-republican-party-platform ↗
“"stand with Israel, and seek peace in the Middle East" while rebuilding regional alliances for 'Peace, Stability, and Prosperity' — 2024 GOP Platform”
- White House (Trump Declaration, Sharm el-Sheikh, Oct 13, 2025)https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/10/the-trump-declaration-for-enduring-peace-and-prosperity/ ↗
“We hereby commit to the resolution of future disputes through diplomatic engagement and negotiation rather than through force or protracted conflict.”
“Negotiations on the crucial next steps of Gaza's ceasefire plan, like Hamas disarming and Israel withdrawing, are suspended.”
- Singju Post (full RNC transcript)https://singjupost.com/full-transcript-donald-trumps-speech-at-rnc-2024/ ↗
“"I was the first president in modern times to start no new wars." ... "I could stop wars with a telephone call. I could stop wars with just a telephone call." — Trump, RNC 2024”
“"We will replenish our military and build an Iron Dome Missile Defense System to ensure that no enemy can strike our homeland—and this great Iron Dome will all be MADE IN THE USA."”
- White House (Executive Order, Jan 27, 2025)https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/the-iron-dome-for-america/ ↗
“The United States will provide for the common defense of its citizens and the Nation by deploying and maintaining a next-generation missile defense shield”
“we have officially selected an architecture for this state-of-the-art system that will deploy next-generation technologies across the land, sea and space, including space-based sensors and interceptors”
“Congress has already approved roughly $24 billion for the missile defense initiative through Republicans' massive tax and spending measure signed into law last summer.”
- The American Presidency Project (UCSB) — Republican Candidates Debate, Manchester, New Hampshire, February 6, 2016https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/republican-candidates-debate-manchester-new-hampshire-0 ↗
“I would bring back waterboarding and I'd bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.”
“I can offer you my personal commitment, clearly and without reservation, that under my leadership CIA will not restart such a detention and interrogation program.”
“I would tell you that he will override because I'm giving him that power.”
“reduce troop levels to 2,500 in Afghanistan and 2,500 in Iraq by mid-January”
- White House (archived)https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-strategy-afghanistan-south-asia/ ↗
“We will no longer use American military might to construct democracies in faraway lands, or try to rebuild other countries in our own image.”
- P2016.org — Trump Military Readiness Remarks, Union League of Philadelphia, September 7, 2016https://p2016.org/trump/trump090716sp.html ↗
“As soon as I take office, I will ask Congress to fully eliminate the defense sequester and will submit a new budget to rebuild our military.”
- White House (archived), February 28, 2017https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-joint-address-congress/ ↗
“I am sending Congress a budget that rebuilds the military, eliminates the defense sequester”
- Office of Management and Budget, FY2018 Budget Blueprint (govinfo.gov), March 2017https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2018-BLUEPRINT/pdf/BUDGET-2018-BLUEPRINT.pdf ↗
“It fully repeals the defense sequestration, while providing the needed resources for accelerating the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and for beginning to rebuild the U.S. Armed Forces.”
- Congressional Research Service (RL32665), January 20, 2026https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/RL/PDF/RL32665/RL32665.426.pdf ↗
“As of October 1, 2025, the Navy included 293 battle force ships.”
- Congressional Research Service (IN12449), October 21, 2024https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IN/PDF/IN12449/IN12449.2.pdf ↗
“In the late 2010s and early 2020s, as U.S. commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan diminished, Congress cut the Army's end-strength and increased that of the Navy.”
- White House (archived), December 12, 2017https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-signing-h-r-2810-national-defense-authorization-act-fy2018/ ↗
“Today, with the signing of this defense bill, we accelerate the process of fully restoring America's military might.”
- U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO-19-127R), November 2, 2018https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-19-127r ↗
“DOD and DOE are undertaking an extensive, multifaceted effort to sustain and modernize U.S. nuclear weapons capabilities, including the nuclear weapons stockpile; the research and production infrastructure; delivery systems; and the NC3 system.”
- The American Presidency Project (UCSB) — Presidential Debate, Hofstra University, September 26, 2016https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/presidential-debate-hofstra-university-hempstead-new-york-0 ↗
“This is one of the worst deals ever made by any country in history. The deal with Iran will lead to nuclear problems. All they have to do is sit back 10 years, and they don't have to do much.”
- ABC Newshttps://abcnews.com/Politics/donald-trump-plan-defeat-isis-30-days-elected/story?id=41905399 ↗
“We are going to convene my top generals and give them a simple instruction. They will have 30 days to submit to the Oval Office a plan for soundly and quickly defeating ISIS.”
- The White House (archived)https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-memorandum-plan-defeat-islamic-state-iraq-syria/ ↗
“Within 30 days, a preliminary draft of the Plan to defeat ISIS shall be submitted to the President by the Secretary of Defense.”
- Associated Press (via Military Times)https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2017/02/27/pentagon-presenting-counter-isis-plan-to-white-house/ ↗
“Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said Mattis provided the results of his 30-day strategy review ahead of a Monday afternoon Cabinet-level meeting of the National Security Council.”
“Trump promised to enact "aggressive restrictions on Chinese ownership of critical American infrastructure" — Agenda47, January 2023”
- PolitiFact MAGA-Meterhttps://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/maga-meter-tracking-donald-trumps-2024-promises/promise/1638/stop-china-from-buying-land-in-the-us/article/3199/ ↗
“Trump's Agenda47 video 'President Trump Will Stop China From Owning America' (Jan. 18, 2023) pledged aggressive new restrictions on Chinese ownership of vital U.S. infrastructure.”
- White House (National Security Presidential Memorandum, Feb 21, 2025)https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/america-first-investment-policy/ ↗
“use all necessary legal instruments, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), to restrict PRC-affiliated persons from investing in United States technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, raw materials, or other strategic sectors”
“Last February, President Trump signed a national security memorandum that sought to restrict Chinese investments in strategic U.S. sectors, including technology, healthcare and agriculture.”
“In Syria, take a big swatch of land, which believe me, you get for the right price, okay?”
- Middle East Monitorhttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20160616-trump-wants-gulf-states-to-pay-for-syrian-safe-zones/ ↗
“We have to build safe zones over there. And we have to take care of people. We have to get the Gulf states to pay for it. They have tremendous amounts of money.”
- White House (archived)https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/readout-presidents-call-king-salman-bin-abd-al-aziz-al-saud-saudi-arabia/ ↗
“The President requested and the King agreed to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, as well as supporting other ideas to help the many refugees who are displaced by the ongoing conflicts.”
“The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS will now put $300 million towards stabilization in Syria, which means that all projects will remain up and running.”
- White House (archived)https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/statement-president-donald-j-trump-recognizing-venezuelan-national-assembly-president-juan-guaido-interim-president-venezuela/ ↗
“Today, I am officially recognizing the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the Interim President of Venezuela.”