Trump Questions Why US Should ‘Help’ South Korea After Iran Snub: ‘You Can’t Be a Stupid Person’

President Donald Trump asked why the United States should “spend billions and billions of dollars helping” other countries, singling out South Korea after Seoul declined his request for assistance in the war with Iran and warning that he vowed, at the time, to “remember” the refusal.

Trump made the remarks during a Sunday sitdown with Fox News host Trey Gowdy on Sunday Night in America as he touted U.S. operations against Iran and in the Strait of Hormuz, while complaining that American allies had offered little assistance.

“We got very little help from other countries,” Trump said. “And we help other countries; we spend billions and billions of dollars helping NATO and other countries.”

The president singled out South Korea, saying he had personally asked the country to participate in the conflict: “South Korea as an example. We helped them, but when it came to helping us, I didn’t put on a heavy sell, but I just said, ‘Would you like to participate?’ and they all said, ‘No, thank you.’ And I said, ‘I’m going to remember that to myself.’”

“So you could say we are going to make a lot of money, because when they’re not willing to go for you, you just can’t be a stupid person and help them,” he said.

The comments come two weeks after Trump ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” planned joint military exercises with South Korea. At the time, Trump explicitly mentioned Seoul’s refusal to participate in the Iran conflict while announcing the decision, though he described the two matters as “somewhat unrelated (?).”

Trump said then that the exercises were “totally inappropriate and hostile” toward North Korea, citing his relationship with dictator Kim Jong Un and describing Pyongyang as “unthreatening and respectful” during his presidency.

Speaking to Gowdy, Trump again emphasized the scale of America’s military commitment to Seoul: “They want our help. We have thousands and thousands — like, in South Korea, as an example, we have 40,000 soldiers over there. And I said, ‘Would you mind giving us a little hand with Iran, the Islamic Republic of Iran?’ And they say, ‘Well, we’d rather not.’ And I said, ‘OK, thank you very much. I appreciate it.’”

“But I think you have to remember this stuff,” Trump added. “I really do.”

Watch above via Fox News.

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