Trump Brings The Drama To NATO

Summary

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What A Day — “Trump Brings The Drama To NATO”

Host: Jane Coaston
Guest: Felicia Schwartz (POLITICO Diplomatic Correspondent)
Date: July 7, 2026
Theme: President Trump disrupts the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, and the challenges facing the alliance as it navigates international crises, policy uncertainty from the U.S., and internal tension.

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the first day of the 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, examining the immediate turbulence President Donald Trump brings to proceedings. Host Jane Coaston interviews POLITICO’s Felicia Schwartz, on location at the summit, to break down Trump’s unpredictability, the alliance’s anxieties about U.S. leadership, and the summit’s major pressure points (Ukraine, Iran/Israel, European security, and the notorious “Greenland question”). The episode also situates the summit in broader political and diplomatic headlines, but the chief focus is Trump’s impact on NATO and the struggle to maintain unity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Early Drama at the Summit

• Trump Arrives in Ankara

  • “Trump has only been on the ground for a few hours, and despite the best hopes of officials heading into this summit, the drama has already begun.” — Felicia Schwartz [00:00]
  • Trump repeats his demand for U.S. control of Greenland — a persistent irritant.
  • Close rapport with Turkish President Erdogan, noted for “a big show of bromance.”
  • Trump is complimentary of Turkish security/organization (“he's praising how beautiful the roads look”) and enjoys attention (a building named after him at the new airport).

• Atmosphere Among NATO Leaders

  • “The vibes are already a little bit off.” — Felicia Schwartz [05:26]
  • Leaders hope to keep the summit “cool, nice and happy,” but Trump’s presence and unpredictability make that unlikely.

2. The U.S. Role and Alliance Uncertainty

• Alliance Anxiety: What NATO Wants from Washington

  • NATO leaders appreciate U.S. involvement but are weary of the whiplash from Washington — alternating support and threats.
  • They want “clarity”—concrete commitments on troop presence, defense spending, and future policy.
    • “What they really want from the US is clarity. They want to understand what they're doing, when they're doing it, what the plan is. Can they plan together?” — Felicia Schwartz [06:45]
  • Ongoing confusion due to last-minute troop movement changes and lack of transparency.

• Troop Movements & Deterrence

  • U.S. has announced a six-month “force posture review” in Europe, unsettling the alliance.
  • Planned long-range fire support is on pause; European nations can’t easily “backfill” gaps.

• Greenland Sovereignty

  • Trump’s “American control of Greenland” demand is seen as both farcical and alarming.
  • Deep concern: if the U.S. aggressively pursues this, it could fracture the alliance.
    • “The worst case scenario there is that the US is attacking the NATO alliance… it would send the whole alliance belly up.” — Felicia Schwartz [15:25]
  • Europeans aim to keep the Greenland issue out of official summit discussions.

3. Ukraine's Precarious Position

• Ukraine’s Urgent Needs

  • President Zelenskyy and Ukraine seek permission from the U.S. to produce PAC-3 Patriot missile interceptors domestically or in Europe (“a big ask”).
  • If approved, Ukraine can ask European allies to give up some missile stocks now, to be replenished later.
  • Despite Ukrainian advances and a robust drone program, American military support (notably air defense) remains critical.
    • “Even though Russia is suffering a lot… they are still able to kind of hit Ukraine where it hurts. These American capabilities are still very, very important.” — Felicia Schwartz [08:55]

• Limiting Factors

  • The ability for NATO to replenish high-tech weaponry without U.S. participation is limited and will take time.

4. NATO, Iran, and Israel: Allied Tensions

• Middle East Conflicts Not NATO’s Mandate

  • NATO’s formal remit is European defense; leaders remind Trump that “this is not actually what we do.”
  • Allies are organizing some regional military readiness but remain reluctant to intervene during ongoing hostilities.
    • “Their basic stance on Israel, Iran or the Middle East is that this is not actually what we do... And they have basically tried to explain that to Trump time and time again.” — Felicia Schwartz [13:29]

• Trump’s Perspective

  • Views alliance in zero-sum terms — “We spend billions protecting them from Russia. What do they do for us?”
  • Wants more overt solidarity and support for U.S. policy in the Middle East.

• European Response

  • European leaders want to avoid entwining Middle East conflicts with European defense obligations and keep NATO focused.

5. The Diminished Summit: Avoiding Drama

• Summit Structure Shrinks
  • Only one formal working session; minimal bilateral meetings; Trump’s attendance is brief.
    • “I think this is the incredible shrinking summit. Every year it gets smaller… Trump is barely here for a day.” — Felicia Schwartz [18:05]
  • The consensus goal: “drama-free boredom” to minimize chances for disruption.
  • Efforts are geared to “create as few opportunities for Trump to flip the proverbial table — but whenever Trump is here, there’s always something.” [18:05]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trump’s arrival and NATO’s mood:
  • “The vibes are already a little bit off.” — Felicia Schwartz [05:26]
• On what NATO wants from Trump:
  • “What they really want is clarity. They want commitment. They want to know that the US is going to keep troops in Europe… and how NATO fits in.” — Felicia Schwartz [15:25]
• Summit expectations:
  • “It sounds, Felicia, to me like what NATO wants most out of this summit is drama-free boredom. Am I reading this right?” — Jane Coaston [17:54]
  • “Yes. I think this is the incredible shrinking summit.” — Felicia Schwartz [18:05]
• On the Greenland issue:
  • “The worst case scenario there is that the US is attacking the NATO alliance. How would—what would happen to NATO if, you know, the US is going to lay claim to a part of NATO?” — Felicia Schwartz [15:25]
• On alliance fatigue with Trump:
  • “They do their best to, you know, do as little as they can… this is all by way of trying to keep it as chill as possible, to create as few opportunities for Trump to flip the proverbial table.” — Felicia Schwartz [18:05]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:14–06:34] Trump’s opening stunts, European attempts to keep order
• [06:34–08:32] What European leaders want from the U.S.; the alliance’s search for clarity
• [08:32–10:29] Ukraine’s requests, arms supply bottlenecks, and U.S. gatekeeping
• [13:29–15:15] NATO, the Iran/Israel war, and European reluctance
• [15:15–17:54] What NATO leaders want from Trump: commitment, support, and “no surprises”
• [17:54–18:57] The shrinking summit, efforts for “drama-free boredom”

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Summary Takeaway

The 2026 NATO summit in Ankara is marked by President Trump’s immediate disruption and ongoing unpredictability. European allies are desperate for clarity and stability from Washington, particularly regarding military commitments and deterrence against Russia. Ukraine remains critically dependent on U.S.-controlled weaponry, while the Middle East conflict (U.S./Israel vs. Iran) exposes divergent priorities within the alliance. Above all, the summit’s guiding principle is minimalism: keep things calm, avoid headline-grabbing drama, and hope that the American president does not upend the alliance’s fragile unity over issues like Greenland.

The episode blends sharp, dry humor with deep anxiety about the West’s security cooperation in an age of volatile leadership.

Transcript

[Felicia Schwartz]

Trump has only been on the ground for a few hours, and despite the best hopes of officials heading into this summit, the drama has already begun.

[Jane Coastin]

I'm Jane Coastin and this is what a Day, the show that is congratulating Kelsey Fendler, who was the first American woman to row the 2,300 miles from California to Hawaii. She completed the four to three day journey by herself, during which time she didn't have to hear anything about President Donald Trump or red cards of the Senate. She just got to hang out with sharks and seals. Sounds amazing, honestly. On today's show, Trump is already stirring things up at the NATO summit in Turkey. We discussed the conference with POLITICO's Felicia Schwartz, who is on location in Ankara. Before we get into all that, here's what we're following today. Tuesday, July 7th I believe that it's time for him to drop out of the race. That was New York City Mayor Zoram Hamdani joining a chorus of Democrats calling for Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Plattner to drop out. The calls came after a Politico report Monday detailed a sexual assault allegation against him. Platner has denied the allegation. In the less than 24 hours since POLITICO's report published, Platner lost the support of California Representative Ro Khanna, Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. But perhaps the biggest blow to Platner's populist based campaign was from Vermont independent Senator Bernie Sanders. He wrote in a statement, quote, in light of these very serious allegations, I have recommended that he step aside. As of this recording, Platner was still in the race, but said he would be considering next steps. Maine's ballot deadline is July 13, and should Platner drop out, Democrats would have until July 27 to replace him. Americans perception of Israel has taken a hit over the past few years after decades of reliable bipartisan backing. A new AP NORC poll shows rising opposition from Democrats and signs of division even among Republicans regarding the longtime US ally. These findings come nearly three years after Hamas's attack on October 7, 2023, which left 1200 people dead in Israel, mainly civilians, while 251 hostages were taken back to Gaza. About One third of U.S. adults believe that Israel committed genocide against Palestinians during the war in Gaza, an accusation that's been leveled by some human rights organizations and vehemently denied by Israel and the U.S. government. About 2 in 10Americans say Israel has not committed genocide, and the rest about half don't know enough to say. A lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges that the Trump administration has been illegally sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government. Basud says that the U.S. state Department arranged monthly meetings with Iranian officials starting in March 2025, sharing sensitive information about detained Iranian immigrants the US hoped to deport. The information was shared even after the start of the Iran war. The US Government is allowed to work with officials of foreign countries to coordinate deportation logistics, but federal regulations passed in the late 1990s prohibit the government from sharing information that could reveal that the individual getting deported applied for asylum. The lawsuit is seeking to halt sharing information about asylum seekers with the Iranian government and appoint an independent monitor to prevent future disclosures.

[Emmanuel Macron]

Deep down, this is the path forward. It's a clear path forward. The history that we have between Syria and France is one built upon trust. We have stood beside the Syrian people when they wanted their freedom, their liberty, and this is a path that we have never strayed from.

[Jane Coastin]

Unlike some others given French history in Syria, this is a little funny. French President Emmanuel Macron met with Syrian President Hamad Al Sharab in Damascus today, restoring official diplomatic ties. The interpretation you just heard was provided by France 24 during the visit, Macron and Al Sharra said that they would reappoint ambassadors to one another's country after more than a decade. France had previously closed its embassy in Syria in 2012. The announcement came after explosions injured 18 people near the hotel where Macron was reportedly staying. It was the second attack in Damascus in a week and a big setback for al Sharra, as he welcomed the first major Western leader to visit since longtime dictator Bashar al Assad was ousted by insurgent groups in late 2024. And that's the news. Let's talk about NATO. Today kicks off NATO's most important global summit, which is taking place in Ankara, Turkey. It's an event where the world's leaders meet, mingle and above all, try to keep President Trump from doing something inconceivably stupid. He's already threatened to pull troops from Europe if the US does not gain control of Greenland. He has also long demanded that Europe do what he wants on pretty much everything. But NATO has even bigger problems, like Russia's war on Ukraine and the threat Russia poses to the entire coalition. So to talk more about NATO, Trump, and how the summit is trying to keep the president of the United States from throwing an epic temper tantrum, I spoke to Felicia Schwartz. She's a diplomatic correspondent for Politico, reporting from the conference. Felicia, welcome to Water Day.

[Felicia Schwartz]

Thanks so much for Having me.

[Jane Coastin]

So you're in Turkey and there's a lot happening over there. Can you give me a quick rundown? What have been the biggest developments from day one of the NATO summit?

[Felicia Schwartz]

Trump has only been on the ground for a few hours, and despite the best hopes of officials heading into this summit, the drama has already begun. Trump has already mused about how what happens in Ukraine doesn't affect the U.S. he's repeated his desire to have American control of Greenland, something that's a huge irritant in NATO and that European officials have tried very hard to kind of heed off and keep separate. But now that looms pretty large over everything. He had a big show of bromance with President Erdogan. He was praising things are completely shut down here. All of the roads are closed, there's tons of security and he's praising how beautiful the roads look. Apparently they named some sort of building after him in their new airport, which he liked. So we've got some highbrow and some low brow. But already, I think the lead up to all these summits, and especially this one, there's just so much effort to try to keep it, keep it cool, keep things nice and happy and friendly, but the vibes are already a little bit off.

[Jane Coastin]

Yeah. I was curious for people who aren't Erdogan or Donald Trump, where are those world leaders heads at when they're coming into this conference?

[Felicia Schwartz]

They feel like there is a lot of good that NATO does. They've been generally happy to see that. While on the one hand Trump is happy to talk trash about NATO and about Europe, he does remain involved in the alliance. He did show up to this meeting. He's said at various points that he likes the alliance, even when he criticizes it at other points. So what they really want to see is some clarity from the US They've gotten lots of confusing statements from Washington about what troop pullbacks in Europe will look like. Pete Hegseth announced a six month force posture review in Europe. They want to know where that's going. I think they really understand, of course, that the US Wants to, you know, pivot to Asia, a thing they've been trying to do for a long time. They understand that the US Will move things around, but what they really want from the US Is clarity. They want to understand what they're doing, when they're doing it, what the plan is. Can they plan together? So that's one and two. You know, Ukraine has had some success on the battlefield and this is a big moment for Ukraine to. But on the flip side, they are also running out of very crucially needed air defense. And they need those PAC3 interceptors. Those are the missiles that the Patriot system uses. They desperately need those if they're going to hold Russia off. And they want to see the US Put more pressure on Russia at this critical time, which maybe might be a tall ask. So I think what they wanna see is clarity. Whatever support from the US they can get some commitment to doing something on Russia. This is a very important moment in the alliance. But what Trump might be willing to do, I think sort of depends on how he feels tomorrow.

[Jane Coastin]

So I'm interested in this because for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, this is not his first Trump rodeo. I know that Ukraine has been reaching out to other NATO countries looking to get those interceptors. Is this conference kind that, you know, is there a lot of diplomacy going on on the war on Ukraine without the United States involved?

[Felicia Schwartz]

So the big ask from Ukraine on, on these interceptors is they want the US to grant permission for Ukraine to produce these missiles, ideally in Ukraine. But I think most people kind of understand that that's probably too big of an ask. But if not in Ukraine, in Europe, which I think is also still a tough ask. But. But the idea is if Ukraine can get this permission, then they can convince other European allies basically to say, hey, give us what's in your stocks right now, and we will get this capability set up so that by the time you need these, we can backfill you. And so they really want to see some movement on that. But because the US Kind of controls the production of. And what happens to these interceptors, as much diplomacy as Ukraine can do without the U.S. all roads sort of lead to the U.S. and that said, Ukraine has built up a very significant drone program. It's done a lot to defend itself that way. They have found some really strong alternatives. I mean, those alternatives we can see are in very high demand in the Middle east, where the drone threat has come to bear. But still, even though Russia is suffering a lot, they've lost a lot of manpower, their economy has taken a big hit. They are still able to kind of hit Ukraine where it hurts. They targeted Ukraine overnight, as all of these leaders were on the way here. And these American capabilities are still very, very important. It will take some time for the alliance to be able to backfill these capabilities absent any American participation.

[Jane Coastin]

We'll get back to my conversation with Felicia in a moment to talk more about NATO's Turkish adventure. But if you like the show. Make sure to subscribe, leave a 5 star review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads what a Day is brought to you by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. It's everywhere right now, the celebration of America's 250th and we're in the thick of it this month. Christian nationalists are using this milestone not to unite, but to divide. They're pushing the lie that America was founded to be a Christian nation where just one religious movement gets to decide who fully belongs, instead of the truth that America was founded as a democracy committed to liberty and justice for all. That's propaganda, not patriotism. It's a dangerous lie meant to justify censorship, discrimination, attacks on public schools, assaults on LGBTQ rights, restrictions on reproductive freedom, and government favoritism toward one extremist version of Christianity. Americans United for Separation of Church and State is here to fight back against this dangerous and egregious misinterpretation of our founding documents. AU fights daily for everyone's ability to live as themselves and believe as they choose, so long as they don't harm others. Novel idea in the day and age when almost every day we're seeing Christian nationalism weaponize a faith to attack individual freedoms across the country. Do something patriotic this summer as you're dodging the propaganda flying at you from all angles. Become a member of Americans United. By supporting au, you're committing to stand up and protect church, state separation in every area of life. Learn more about how you can Support and how AU protects everyone's [e-mail] Crooked what a Day is brought to you by Willy's Remedy. What kind of moment is perfect for Willy's? Unwinding after a long day at work? Willy's is a premium THC infused social tonic crafted by the legendary Willie Nelson. It is a low calorie, low sugar alcohol alternative that actually works, delivering a fast acting, euphoric social buzz without the regrets that can come with alcohol. Willy's Social tonics come in 5 milligram and 10 milligram doses with a best in class flavor experience so smooth and balanced you barely realize you're drinking a THC product at all. You can enjoy the tonics as a shot sipped over ice or mixed into your favorite mocktail. One shot of Willy's helps you relax, unwind and de stress. Perfect for taking the edge off at the end of a long day or socializing with friends, Willy's offers the kind of feeling that Makes good company even better. Willy's ships directly to your doorstep in 40 plus states and has sold out three times in the first six months with over 300,000 happy customers. So order [e-mail] and use code WAD for 20% off of your first order and free shipping on orders over $95. And live like a legend. Let's get back to my conversation with Felicia Schwartz. The other conflict that's sort of the backdrop for this conference is the US And Israel's war against Iran. How is that conflict shaping the conversation in Ankara? Because I know already that's led to a blow up with Italy. You know what's going on there.

[Felicia Schwartz]

The purpose of NATO is it's a mutual defense alliance on the European continent. An attack against one is attack against all. And their basic stance on Israel, Iran or the Middle east is that this is not actually what we do. It's not the job of the alliance to defend you in that theater. And they have basically tried to explain that to Trump time and time again. And they've been trying to get themselves organized ahead of time. Basically, France, the UK, others, they've been organizing all these capabilities that they will bring to bear once the fighting is over. And I think France has moved some assets into the region as a head start and others are willing to do more things as the fighting kind of shows that it's not going to restart again. But that is not what Trump wants. You heard it from Trump today. He basically said they offered to help after the fighting was over. We don't actually need their help, but it was a test to see who would come stand with us. We spend billions aliens protecting them from Russia. What do they do for us? So the countries here really want to keep it separate to Trump, this is all one in the same. We help you so much. What do you do for us? And it is true the US does spend like a significant, you know, the bulk of NATO funds do come from the U.S. europe has made some, some strides here to increase that number much at Trump's urging. And, you know, they want him to see that good piece and not feel too slighted by what's happened in the Middle East. But, you know, they don't agree with Trump's strategy there and they don't think this is for them to be a part of at this time. So as much as they want to keep it separate, it is very, very top of mind from Trump and he wants to see them stand with him on this.

[Jane Coastin]

So Trump has made it very, very clear what he wants NATO allies to do, not stand with the US on its war with Iran, up their defense spending. But what do NATO leaders want from Trump?

[Felicia Schwartz]

What they really want is clarity. They want commitment. They want to know that the US Is going to keep troops in Europe. If they're going to move things around, when will that happen? What will be the process? Can we talk about this? Because basically every time there are working level visits in Washington, they get told, oh, nothing's going to happen, nothing's going to change. And then they kind of find out last minute, oh, this big group of troops that was supposed to be on its way to Poland, it's actually not coming anymore. They want to understand what Washington's plans are for the future and how NATO fits in and what Washington will do to make sure that this doesn't happen overnight, that there are no security vacuums, that if Washington does have plans to move troops or, you know, they were supposed to send long range fire capability to Europe to help be a deterrent to Russia, they've said they're not going to do that. But Europe doesn't have the ability overnight to backfill that. So what can Washington do to help Europe to make sure that there are no misses, there are no empty, empty spaces that the alliance can't fill while it tries to build up and get to a place where it can rely less on the US that's one. And then also I think anything to show that they will stand with Ukraine at this very critical moment, that they can do something, that they can, whatever it is. You know, I don't know that anyone expects overnight Trump is going to send a bunch of Patriot receptors in part because the supply challenge that Ukraine faces, everyone faces. There aren't so many extra to go around. But can they, can they send any signal that they are helping Ukraine at this critical moment? And I think three is they really want to keep Greenland off the agenda. They don't want the US to claim sovereign territory of another country. The worst case scenario there is that the US Is attacking the NATO alliance. How would, what would happen to NATO if you know the US Is going to lay claim to a part of NATO totally sends the whole alliance belly up. So they want to keep that off the agenda. Even if Trump is musing about it, can they kind of keep that in the bilateral sphere? Can they come to some sort of arrangement and defense spending? They need to organize themselves about how they're going to meet this 5% commitment. Who's going to do what? They want to show Trump They've been doing things, but there are tensions within the alliance. The eastern flanks, states spend a ton more than the rest of Europe. Can they, can they get those goals aligned?

[Jane Coastin]

It sounds Felicia, to me like what NATO wants most out of this summit is drama, free boredom. Am I reading this right?

[Felicia Schwartz]

Yes. I think this is the incredible shrinking summit. Every year it gets smaller. They do their best to, you know, do as little as they can. I mean, Trump is barely here for a day. I've covered these things for a long time. They used to be multi day affairs. They're all kinds of working groups, a Ukraine working group, a Middle east working group, all these different things. And there's none of that. There's only one working session tomorrow with all of the leaders. There are a handful of bilats and Trump's not even on the ground really for 24 hours. So this is all by way of trying to keep it as chill as possible, to create as few opportunities for Trump to flip the proverbial table. But whenever Trump is here, there's always something.

[Jane Coastin]

There always is. Felicia, thank you so much for joining me.

[Felicia Schwartz]

Thank you for having me.

[Jane Coastin]

That was my conversation with Felicia Schwartz, diplomatic correspondent at Politico. Before we go New York, come join Crooked Ideas in lower Manhattan for an immersive 90 minute walking tour inspired by the award winning podcast Empire City. Most tour guides know their history, but Assad Dandia lived it. He sued the NYPD and won. As a college student, Assad founded a mutual aid organization in Brooklyn. The NYPD responded by sending informants to surveil him and the NYC Muslim community. So he joined an ACLU led lawsuit challenging the surveillance, won a policy settlement that brought protections for all New Yorkers, and became one of the characters in the award winning crooked podcast Empire City. Join Assad in New York City starting July 18th for the Untold History of the NYPD, a walking tour. Tickets are just $10. Reserve your spot today at crookedideas.org empirecity that's all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe. Leave a review. A French far right candidate is running for president while wearing an ankle monitor. And tell your friends to listen. And if you're into reading, not just about how Marine Le Pen has been ordered to wear an ankle monitor after being sentenced for embezzling from the European Parliament. But she will still run for president next year. Like me, what a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Jane Coston and honestly being the president of France can't be that great. Come on. What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. Our show is produced by Caitlin Plummer, Emily for Erica Morrison and Adrienne Hill. Our team includes Haley Jones, Greg Walters, Matt Berg, Joseph Dutra, Johanna Case and Desmond Taylor. Our music is by Kyle Murdoch and Jordan Cantor. We had help Today from the U.S. associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.