Trump during the Presidential Debate at Hofstra University | Win McNamee/Getty Images New Donald Trump: ‘I’m all for NATO’ Trump had said he would not automatically defend NATO allies.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Monday seemingly reversed his position on NATO, walking back earlier comments that suggested he is not in favor of the alliance.

"I'm all for NATO," Trump said during the first U.S. presidential debate at Hofstra University. Seemingly trying to clarify his change of heart, Trump said that he had earlier believed that "NATO could be obsolete, because ... they do not focus on terror."

Still, Trump was critical of NATO, repeating previous comments that it is unfair America is shouldering a disproportionate share of the alliance's costs.

"We pay approximately 73 percent of the cost of NATO. It's a lot of money to protect other people," Trump said.

That percentage, however, is incorrect. The United States actually pays just over 22 percent of the cost of NATO’s spending.

In a July interview with the New York Times, Trump said he would not necessarily defend another NATO country if that country was attacked, seeming to disregard one of the founding and guiding principles of NATO.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate for the presidency, reassured national governments of the U.S.'s commitment to the alliance during the debate.

"NATO, as a military alliance has something called 'article five.' And basically it says this, an attack on one is an attack on all," Clinton said. "I want to reassure our allies in Japan and South Korea and elsewhere that we have mutual defense treaties, and we will honor them. It is essential that America's word be good."