Topline
President Donald Trump signaled he is considering pulling the U.S. out of NATO and described the Western alliance as a “paper tiger” in an interview with The Telegraph published on Wednesday, after days of lashing out at the group’s reluctance to help the U.S. in its conflict with Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump speaks after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Trump told the British newspaper that he was never “swayed by NATO,” and always knew the alliance was “a paper tiger.”
The president added that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, “knows that too, by the way.”
When asked if he was reconsidering the U.S.’s membership in the alliance, Trump responded, “Oh yes, I would say beyond reconsideration.”
Trump said he didn’t “insist too much” on NATO getting involved in the conflict because he thinks it should have been “automatic.”
The president then claimed that the U.S. has been involved “automatically” in Ukraine, even though he believes Russia’s invasion of the country “wasn’t our problem.”
Trump added that this served as a test as he believes the U.S. was there for other NATO members and “would always have been there” but claimed the European allies have failed to reciprocate.
Crucial Quote
Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “I think there’s no doubt, unfortunately, after this conflict is concluded, we are going to have to re-examine that relationship. If NATO is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, but them denying us basing rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement. That’s a hard one to stay engaged in.”
This is a developing story.