Steve Bannon, former White House Chief Strategist to Donald Trump, has launched a scathing attack on the EU and other traditional US allies during an appearance on GB News.
Speaking to Steven Edginton, Bannon dismissed the notion that the European Union and Canada are true allies of the United States.
"I am so insulted by you using the term 'allies'. Allies are supposed to be in something together. The European elites are total and complete deadbeats," Bannon said.
Bannon criticised European nations for failing to meet defence spending commitments.
Steve Bannon hit out at the EU
REUTERS / GB NEWS
"I was the guy during the first Trump administration who had to ask you guys, 'would you consider getting up to 2.5 per cent that you committed after you forced your way into Ukraine in 2014?'" he said.
He singled out specific countries for criticism, saying: "If you look particularly at the Germans, the Italians, some of these people are horrible."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Steve Bannon spoke on GB News
GB NEWS
He claimed European defence budgets were being misdirected. "It's not going to a combined arms operation. It's going to pensions or women's health care or climate change."
Bannon was particularly critical of European naval contributions in the Red Sea.
"You call yourself an ally in the Dead Sea. Right now we have two carrier battle groups. That's about 24,000 sailors doing airstrikes on the Houthis to keep the Red Sea open, to keep the trade going to Europe so prices don't explode," he said.
He contrasted this with minimal European presence. "The last I saw, I think there's one British destroyer, one French frigate, one Italian corvette. You don't even take your own thing seriously, so how can we take you seriously?"
Donald Trump has been critical of the European Union
REUTERSBannon's comments come amid escalating trade tensions between the US and its traditional allies.
President Trump recently imposed a blanket 10 per cent tariff on all imports, with higher levies on countries with large trade deficits with the US.
The EU's offer of "zero-for-zero tariffs" was bluntly rejected by Trump, who stated: "The European Union's been very bad to us."
Trump has demanded that European nations "buy their energy from us" and defended his tariff policy despite market concerns, saying: "Nobody but me would do this."
Bannon concluded his criticism with stark language about the relationship between the US and its traditional partners.
"You're not allies. All you do is b**ch and moan," he stated bluntly.
He suggested that European nations have been taking advantage of American generosity under President Biden.
"This is why they praised Joe Biden. Biden used to say the NATO guys really love me. Of course they will when you're going to give them everything," Bannon said.
He insisted that "the Western European people must understand that their lies have not been allies to the United States."
