Trump indicates he'll try to pull U.S. out of NATO
President Trump has told Britain's Telegraph newspaper he could try to terminate U.S. membership in NATO. He's railed against NATO allies for refusing to join the Iran war.
Updated on: April 1, 2026 / 9:27 AM EDT / CBS News
Mr. Trump has railed against NATO allies for refusing to join the war against Iran , though he did not consult with them in advance or involve them in any planning for its economic and security fallout.
Asked by The Telegraph's Washington correspondent if he would consider ending U.S. membership in the alliance after the Iran war, Mr. Trump said: "Oh yes, I would say [it's] beyond reconsideration. I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin knows that too, by the way."
Mr. Trump has disparaged the alliance for years, but he is not legally empowered to make such a change on his own.
By law , to actually pull the U.S. from the alliance or suspend U.S. membership, he would have to gain the "advice and consent of the Senate," with a two-thirds majority vote required to approve the move, according to Congress.gov , the official federal government website for legislation information.