US ‘subsidizing’ Saudi, Asia militaries: Trump

WHEELING, United States: President Donald Trump on Saturday complained that the US is “subsidizing” the military of Middle East ally Saudi Arabia, as well as Japan and South Korea.

The comment, at a West Virginia rally for local candidates of his Republican Party, follows similar jibes at European members of the NATO alliance. “When you have wealthy countries like Saudi Arabia, like Japan, like South Korea, why are we subsidizing their military?” asked Trump, who pushes an aggressive “America First” policy on trade. “They’ll pay us. The problem is nobody ever asks.” He added that he had spoken to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Saturday to make the same point.