President Donald Trump has doubled down on threats to withdraw from NATO, stating he is “absolutely” considering an exit and will rebuke the alliance during a nationally televised address scheduled for 9 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday.
The president indicated the speech will focus on what he describes as NATO’s unwillingness to support U.S. military operations aimed at countering Iranian actions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route. Trump accused European allies of failing to provide adequate backing despite longstanding commitments to American security.
Multiple NATO members, including France, Italy, and Spain, have resisted requests for military participation or expanded base access in the Gulf region. French officials explicitly stated that NATO is “not an organization for projecting power in the Middle East,” underscoring a growing divergence over the alliance’s operational scope.
Congress has already passed legislation in 2023 requiring congressional approval before any U.S. withdrawal from NATO, with lawmakers including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Tim Kaine warning that such a move would severely compromise national security and transatlantic alliances.
Analysts warn that the threat of U.S. exit could trigger a historic crisis by undermining confidence in NATO’s mutual defense guarantees, potentially destabilizing the post-World War II security order established in 1949.
