The Republican candidate made the controversial remarks on Friday while continuing his electoral campaign in Michigan, one of the key battleground states likely to determine the winner of Tuesday’s presidential election.

Trump said during a campaign rally: “We’re being taken advantage of by every country all over the world, including our allies.

“In many cases, our allies are worse than our so-called enemies.”

The former U.S. president has repeatedly criticized NATO members for not contributing enough to the western alliance, particularly by failing to meet the 2% defense spending guideline.

However, Trump himself has been blasted for his alleged soft-spot for dictators, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Peace in Middle East

Trump also visited Dearborn, a city in Michigan where nearly half of the 110,000 residents are Arab American, promising to bring “peace in the Middle East.”

He did not specify how he plans to resolve the Israel-Hamas conflict, which began last year and now risks escalating into a wider regional war with Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

Harris vows to be a ‘president for all’

Meanwhile, Democratic nominee and current vice-president Kamala Harris also continued her electoral campaign, visiting the key battleground state of Georgia on Friday, where she pledged to be a “president for all Americans.”

She cautioned that if Trump becomes the president, he would walk into the Oval office with his ‘enemies list.’

She added: “When I am elected, I will walk in on your behalf with ‘much to do’ list, and at the top of my list is bringing down the cost of living for you.

“Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail, I will give them a seat at the table.”

Polls show Harris and Trump locked in a neck-and-neck race, with the election outcome hinging on the voting patterns in swing states.