Democrat Senator Cardin: Trump Being Aggressive On Foreign Policy Helps Russia, China

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) claimed over the weekend that President-elect Donald Trump pursuing an aggressive America First agenda on the global stage would only strengthen Russia and China.

The 81-year-old senator made the remarks during a Sunday interview on ABC News’ “This Week” when asked about Trump talking about taking the Panama Canal back or trying to take over Greenland.

“It’s a serious statement because it affects America’s credibility globally,” Cardin claimed. “Our allies don’t know whether we are reliable partners or not. The Panama Canal obligations were established by a treaty ratified by Congress, by this U.S. Senate.”

“So I don’t know what the president-elect is saying in regards to how sincere he is, but I can tell you, it does raise questions globally as to whether we’re a reliable partner,” he said. “And it really feeds in to Russia and China appeal to other countries as to whether they need to make alliances with Russia and China whether America will be there for them globally.”

He claimed that Trump threatened to pull out of NATO during his first term in office without acknowledging that Trump actually got NATO members to dramatically increase their spending — thus strengthening the alliance.

WATCH:

Sen. Ben Cardin, outgoing chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, tells @JonKarl that President-elect Trump’s threats to seize the Panama Canal could drive allies toward Russia and China.

“These are treaty obligations which our allies rely upon.” https://t.co/YDN8aunfYb pic.twitter.com/4MbyoBBEeJ

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 29, 2024