Donald Trump Labels NATO a 'Paper Tiger' and Signals Potential U.S. Withdrawal

U.S. President Donald Trump said he was strongly considering pulling the United States out of NATO, calling the alliance a "paper tiger" in an interview published Wednesday by Britain's Daily Telegraph. Trump said removing the United States from the defense pact was now "beyond reconsideration," according to Reuters. The remarks follow weeks of mounting tension between Washington and European allies over their refusal to support U.S. military operations against Iran. Trump said he had long held doubts about NATO's credibility and that Russian President Vladimir Putin shared his assessment of the alliance's weakness.

„Oh yes, I would say [it's] beyond reconsideration. I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.” — Donald Trump via Reuters

Hegseth refuses to guarantee Article 5 commitment Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined on Tuesday to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to NATO's collective defense at a Pentagon briefing, saying the question was "up to the president." Hegseth pointed to Trump's recent social media posts criticizing France for blocking overflight of U.S. military resupply aircraft headed to Israel and criticizing Britain for not joining the war against Iran alongside the United States and Israel. Reuters described the remarks as extraordinary, given that collective defense lies at the heart of the alliance. Hegseth added that the alliance lacked meaning if member states refused to stand with the United States when needed. Experts cited by Reuters warned that such signals could encourage Russia to test NATO members' readiness to enforce Article 5. Any formal U.S. withdrawal may also require consent by Congress, Reuters noted.

„You don't have much of an alliance if you have countries that are not willing to stand with you when you need them. He's simply pointing that out, and ultimately, it'll be his decision of what that looks like.” — Pete Hegseth via Reuters

Rubio calls NATO a "one-way street" after Iran conflict Secretary of State Marco Rubio made parallel remarks in an interview with Fox News, saying the United States would be forced to "re-evaluate" its relationship with NATO after the conclusion of the Iran conflict. Rubio described himself as a former staunch defender of the alliance, saying he once saw "immense value" in NATO because it allowed the United States to project military power globally through access to European bases. He argued that if those bases could no longer be used to defend American interests, the alliance had become a "one-way street." Trump told the Daily Telegraph he was "glad" Rubio had made those statements, according to newsORF.at. Rubio questioned why the United States was spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the alliance if it was being denied base access during wartime.

„So I think there is unfortunately no doubt that after this conflict is concluded, we have to reassess this relationship. We're going to have to re-evaluate the value of NATO and this alliance to our country.” — Marco Rubio via Deutsche Welle

Italy blocked Sigonella use, Spain closed airspace to U.S. jets The immediate trigger for the escalating rhetoric was a series of refusals by European NATO members to facilitate U.S. military operations against Iran. The Italian government refused a U.S. request to use the Sigonella airbase in Sicily for combat missions, with the American military having sought to land fighter jets there without prior arrangements with Italian army command, according to Deutsche Welle and forsal.pl citing Corriere della Sera. Spain closed its airspace to U.S. aircraft flying missions against Iran, a decision that preceded the Italian refusal by several days. France drew direct criticism from Trump for not allowing overflight of U.S. military resupply aircraft headed to Israel. Deutsche Welle noted that the Iran war, initiated by the United States and Israel, is not covered by Article 5, meaning European allies had no treaty obligation to participate. The U.S. government had also been pressing NATO partners for assistance in securing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route, but European states declined to send ships, according to forsal.pl.

The United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28, 2026, in what was designated Operation Epic Fury. The strikes killed Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, on the first day of the campaign. Mojtaba Khamenei, his son, was subsequently appointed Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026. The conflict has placed sustained pressure on transatlantic relations, with European NATO members broadly declining to participate in or facilitate the military campaign.

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