Donald Trump stated at a campaign rally in Kansas that the US sought NATO's help in the war with Iran to "test" the alliance, even though the US "didn't need" such help. He claimed this move was a test because the US spends "too much money" on NATO. Trump reiterated his claim that the Iranian navy had "sunk to the bottom of the sea" and that 229 Iranian fighter jets were "now scattered across various runways in the Islamic Republic of Iran." He also stated that Iran's first and second-tier leaders had "disappeared," and half of the third-tier leaders had "also disappeared," adding, "I don't know who to negotiate with."