It didn’t take long for the Donald Trump we got to know in his first term to remerge. Just minutes after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, he apparently delivered his first diplomatic misstep.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon, Trump erroneously identified Spain as a member of the BRICS bloc, a coalition of emerging economies whose name derives from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The group recently expanded to include Egypt, the UAE, Ethiopia, Iran, and Indonesia.
Spain, however, is a longstanding member of NATO and the European Union, both key U.S. allies.
The confusion arose when Trump was asked about NATO countries failing to meet the alliance’s 2% GDP defense spending target. Highlighting Spain’s position as the lowest contributor among the 32 NATO members last year, with an estimated 1.28% defense budget, Trump seized the moment to voice his discontent.
“Spain is very low,” he said, responding to a reporter’s question. “They’re a BRICS nation, Spain. Do you know what a BRICS nation is? You’ll figure it out,” he added, before reiterating his plan to impose a 100% tariff on the bloc – an economic rival led by Moscow and Beijing which aims to challenge the dominance of the U.S. dollar.
Donald Trump doesn’t even know which countries are in BRICS?
No, Spain is not in BRICS.
A total embarrassment.
pic.twitter.com/bwyM1U2Q7S— Lucas Sanders 💙🗳️🌊💪🌈🚺🟧 (@LucasSa56947288) January 21, 2025
By Tuesday morning, Spanish Education Minister and government spokesperson Pilar Alegría sought to calm the waters. “I’m not sure whether President Trump’s statement was a mix-up or not, but I can confirm that Spain is not part of the BRICS,” Alegría stated during a press conference.
She emphasized that Spain has been a committed NATO member for decades and considers the United States a “natural ally.”
Despite the diplomatic reassurance, Alegría acknowledged the ongoing tension over defense spending. Spain is one of eight NATO members, including Italy, that have yet to meet the 2% target. Trump, however, has repeatedly called for NATO allies to increase their contributions, pushing for a new benchmark of 5%.
