00:00But I hope to be able to get there.
00:03Mr. President, does America have a future in NATO?
00:06What's that?
00:07Does America have a future in NATO?
00:08Well, NATO has to treat us fairly.
00:10If they pay their bills and if they do what they're supposed to do.
00:13When I first got involved with NATO, as you know, they weren't paying their bills.
00:16There were 28 countries and most of them weren't paying.
00:20And I got them to pay.
00:21And they paid billions and billions of dollars.
00:23I made a certain statement that I'm not going to be involved with NATO
00:26unless you're going to pay your bills.
00:28And I was asked a question.
00:30If we don't pay, are you going to help us?
00:34I said, no, if you don't pay, you're saying you're delinquent.
00:38A term, a real estate term.
00:40You're delinquent.
00:41You're not paying your rent.
00:42You're not paying your bills.
00:43If you're not paying your bills, I'm not going to help.
00:45And everybody we took in, your Secretary General will tell you,
00:49he was very generous to me.
00:51He said, I've never seen anything like it.
00:53Money came in by the billions and billions and billions of dollars.
00:56And NATO became much stronger.
00:58Now, NATO has expended a lot of that money in fighting this horrible war.
01:02It's too bad they had to do that.
01:04But they had the money from me.
01:05I was the one that got people to pay.
01:07The countries, most of the countries were not paying
01:09or they were paying a very small amount.
01:11So we'll see.
01:12But NATO can be a force for the good.
01:14Absolutely.
01:15Would you like to see Ireland join NATO, Mr. President?
01:17That's up to Ireland.
01:19Would you think Ireland and the EU are too close?
01:21Do you think that perhaps?
01:22We are very close.
01:23No, Ireland and the EU.
01:24Do you think there's too close a relationship there?
01:26Do you think there needs to be a separation, like you said,
01:28if you can't get money permission when you can get it in Ireland
01:30but you can't get it in the EU?
01:31Well, look, I can just tell you about my personal experience
01:34that Ireland treated me very well and the EU was terrible.
01:38And they stopped really a magnificent addition.
01:41It wasn't a big deal from the standpoint of the world.
01:44It wasn't like the things we're talking about now.
01:46But it would have been a very beautiful addition.
01:49And they stopped it, which is bad for Ireland.
01:51And I don't know why.
01:53I don't know why it would take five to seven years
01:55to get something approved, but that's what it was.
01:57Thank you all very much.
01:58Thank you, Chris.
