Trump's Blistering Ultimatum: Cut Off Spain or Face the Consequences
President Trump unleashed a fiery ultimatum, threatening to sever “all trade” and tourism with Spain, targeting Madrid’s military spending and operational restrictions during the Iran war.
“Spain is a wasted cause. We don’t want to do any trade business with Spain anymore,” Trump declared, flanked by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte before a summit.
“Spain is a terrible partner in NATO. They don’t participate, they don’t pay. I don’t want to have anything to do with Spain. Cut off all trade with Spain, please, including visits… Watch them come running back,” he stated.
“We don’t have to trade with them. I don’t want to do any more trade with them, alright? Immediately. Don’t talk to them, they’re hopeless, bad people,” Trump continued.
“Let’s see how hostile they remain when they call up and they [say], ‘Please, please. We want to trade with you, sir. We want to trade with you, sir,’” he added.
“They make so much money with us and we’re going to see that they make a lot less. I want no business with them,” Trump asserted.
In response, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s office dismissed the remarks as “a matter of routine,” emphasizing that Madrid “maintains an excellent social, cultural, and economic relationship with the US, and we have no intention of seeing that change.”
Sánchez’s office highlighted that the US currently enjoys a trade surplus with Spain, exporting more goods than it imports, and noted that the European Union manages economic relations for its member nations.
The White House and Treasury Department did not provide immediate details on potential actions against Spain, leaving it unclear how Trump might enforce business or travel restrictions.
A complete trade cutoff could restrict American access to popular imports like olive oil and wine, disrupting existing agreements with the European Union.
Trump possesses significant authority to impose tariffs temporarily; however, a Supreme Court ruling in February limited his powers, suggesting any long-term measures against Spain would likely face legal hurdles.
Imposing travel restrictions would be unprecedented, considering nearly 4.5 million Americans visited Spain last year. Currently, the US government only prohibits travel to North Korea.
