Trump: ‘We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain’

U.S. President Donald Trump sharply criticized Spain after the Spanish government denied the use of its military bases for U.S. Flights connected to a military offensive against Iran. Speaking in the Oval Office alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump called Spain a “terrible” ally and said he had instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to cut all trade ties with the country.

The Spanish government replied that trade policy is handled at the European Union level, not by Spain. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will address the nation on Wednesday at 9 a.m. From La Moncloa, the seat of government.

Trump said that “some European nations have been helpful and some haven’t, and I’m very surprised. Germany’s been great [...] Others have been very good. I think that the head of NATO, Mark Rutte, is fantastic. But some of the Europeans, like Spain has been terrible.” He went on to deliver his harshest remarks yet against Spain, possibly his toughest since last June, when at the NATO summit in The Hague he threatened extraordinary tariffs over Spain’s refusal to commit to defence spending of 5% of GDP.

An hour later, the Spanish government responded by stressing that Spain is a reliable partner. It underlined that Spain is a key member of NATO and a major exporting power within the EU. Any change to trade relations with Washington, it said, would have to respect international law and existing EU–U.S. Agreements. The government still hopes the threat will come to nothing, as with previous warnings made by Trump.

The statement struck a firm tone, arguing that Spain could withstand a blockade by the United States and that it has the resources to mitigate any impact, support affected sectors and diversify supply chains.

Relations between the Republican administration and the Spanish socialist government have been tense for some time. Over the past 13 months, Trump has built up resentment over Spain’s positions on NATO defence spending, the war in Gaza, and now over the use of the bases at Rota and Morón for operations against Iran.

This last issue has been the final straw. A single general question from a journalist about Europe’s response to the conflict in Iran was enough for the White House occupant to go straight for the jugular, with Trump threatening to cut off relations with Spain.

“I told Scott [Bessent] to cut off all dealings with Spain,” said Trump. “First of all, it all started when every European nation, at my request, paid 5% [of GDP to NATO], which is what they should be doing. And everybody was enthusiastic about it — Germany, everybody — and Spain didn’t do it.”

“And now,” he continued, “Spain actually said we can’t use their bases. And that’s alright we can use their base if we want. We can just fly in and use it. Nobody’s going to tell us not to use it. But we don’t have to. But they were unfriendly, so I told them we didn’t want to. Spain has absolutely nothing that we need, other than great people. They have great people.”

Trump went on to say that Spain, “were the only country that in NATO would not agree to go up to 5%. I don’t think they would have agreed to go up to anything — they wanted to keep it at 2%, and they don’t pay the 2%. So we’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”

A little further on in his remarks, Trump returned to the same idea. “I could tomorrow, or today, even better, stop everything having to do with Spain,” he said. “All business having to do with Spain, I have the right to stop it: embargos, do anything I want with it,” he added.

Trump had not finished venting. Spain’s refusal — and the United Kingdom’s — had irritated him almost personally. And after answering another series of questions about the military operation — he said, for example, that the “worst‑case scenario” for Iran would be “a leader almost as bad” as the previous one, Ali Khamenei, killed in Saturday’s bombings — he once again lashed out at London and Madrid.

“Spain has been very, very uncooperative and so has the U.K.,” the U.S. President declared, clearly irritated with both governments. Regarding Spain, he recalled that it is the only country that has not committed to reaching the goal of 5% of GDP in military spending. As for the United Kingdom, he pointed out that London had denied him the use of the joint base on Diego Garcia, in the Chagos Archipelago.

The U.S. President and the German chancellor met in a long‑scheduled appointment in the Oval Office which, given the avalanche of recent events, shifted its focus to the new war in Iran — and to the impact that the conflict, initiated by Trump, could have on the war in Ukraine “in these challenging times,” according to Merz. In addition, the two leaders were expected to discuss trade and the post-war Tehran, the German head of government said.

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