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Secretary of State Marco Rubio is done playing games with so-called allies. Following the Iran conflict, he's reviewing plans to close roughly 80 percent of American military bases across Europe. Why? Because key NATO partners like Spain and France refused to let US forces use bases and airspace we helped fund for decades.
This isn't complicated. For years, the United States has poured blood, treasure, and manpower into defending Europe while they slashed their own defenses and freeloaded off American strength. When America needed those same facilities for its own operations, they slammed the door shut. Enough is enough.
NATO was built to counter the Soviet threat that died in 1991. Today it's a one-way welfare scheme where Europeans demand protection but offer zero reciprocity. They lecture us on global leadership while hiding behind our military and refusing basic cooperation. Rubio is right to question the value of this lopsided deal. American taxpayers shouldn't keep subsidizing deadbeat allies who won't lift a finger when we call in the favor.
Closing the bases sends a clear message: America is no longer the world's unpaid policeman. Bring our troops home, save billions, and focus on securing our own borders and interests. Let Europe figure out how to defend itself without Uncle Sam's checkbook. If they suddenly feel vulnerable, maybe they'll finally invest in real militaries instead of virtue-signaling and open borders.
It's time to end the free ride. America First means putting American resources to work for Americans, not propping up ungrateful partners who treat us like enemies when it suits them. Rubio's move is long overdue.