Trump says he may withdraw US from NATO. The law says he can't without Congress

2 days ago 9

Washington — President Trump says he's considering withdrawing the U.S. from NATO, aft years of complaining the alliance's subordinate countries aren't paying capable for their ain defense. And since helium began the warfare with Iran, the president has been lashing retired astir the deficiency of enactment from NATO allies.

A instrumentality passed by Congress successful 2023 — and spearheaded successful portion by Marco Rubio, present the caput of authorities — bars the president from doing truthful without support from the legislative branch. The beingness of that instrumentality whitethorn not halt Mr. Trump from trying to propulsion the U.S. retired of the 77-year-old alliance.

Here's what to cognize astir the U.S.' rank successful NATO:

What is NATO?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is simply a antiaircraft confederation designed to support the U.S., Canada and Europe harmless successful the aftermath of World War II.

Formed successful 1949, the confederation initially included 12 countries, but has swelled to 32 members. The latest countries to articulation NATO see Finland successful 2023 and Sweden successful 2024.

NATO's purpose is to "guarantee the state and information of its members done governmental and subject means." At its halfway is Article 5, which states that an onslaught connected 1 NATO state volition beryllium considered an onslaught connected all.

Why has Trump suggested leaving NATO?

For years, Mr. Trump has taken contented with defence spending and contributions by NATO's subordinate countries, and he's often referred to allies arsenic unreliable partners, criticizing the confederation arsenic a one-way street.

While moving for his 2nd word successful 2024, Mr. Trump enactment intense pressure connected NATO members to summation their defence spending. At the time, helium pledged not to retreat the U.S. from the confederation if different countries paid their just share. Ultimately, the unit led subordinate countries to hold to a dramatic increase successful their defence spending.

But the warfare with Iran has exacerbated tensions erstwhile more, arsenic NATO allies person been reluctant to assistance the U.S., with galore denying the U.S. support to usage their aerial abstraction oregon airfields successful caller days. And the president's vexation with the confederation has appeared to increase arsenic subordinate countries person resisted his calls to nonstop ships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Asked by Britain's Telegraph newspaper Wednesday whether he'd reconsider U.S. rank successful NATO aft the Iran war, Mr. Trump said it's "beyond reconsideration," portion calling the defence confederation that the U.S. helped forge a "paper tiger." The president besides told Reuters that helium is "absolutely" considering an effort to exit the alliance. But whether those comments are portion of an effort by the president to exert leverage implicit NATO allies remains to beryllium seen.

President Trump attends a bilateral gathering with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte connected the sidelines of the World Economic Forum connected Jan. 21, 2026.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared the president's sentiment, telling Fox News connected Tuesday that "unfortunately, we are going to person to reexamine whether oregon not this alliance, that has served this state good for a while, is inactive serving that purpose, oregon is it present go a one-way street."

Rubio acknowledged that arsenic a senator, helium was a staunch protagonist of NATO. But helium argued that if the U.S. is unable to usage subject bases successful Europe during its warfare with Iran, past U.S. rank is going to person to beryllium reconsidered.

"After this struggle is concluded, we are going to person to reexamine that relationship," Rubio said. "We're going to person to reexamine the worth of NATO and that confederation for our country. Ultimately, that's a determination for the president to make, and he'll person to marque it."

The president has indicated successful caller weeks helium believes helium tin propulsion the U.S. retired of NATO connected his own, telling reporters past period that "I don't request Congress for that decision," and "I tin marque that determination myself."

Can the president propulsion the U.S. retired of NATO?

NATO's Article 13 states that immoderate subordinate state whitethorn retreat 1 twelvemonth aft providing a "notice of denunciation" to the U.S. government. But Congress approved authorities successful 2023 aimed astatine preventing a president from unilaterally moving to permission NATO. At the time, lawmakers expressed interest that Mr. Trump could effort to retreat the U.S. from the confederation if helium returned to office.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Rubio were the pb sponsors of the provision, which was included successful the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal twelvemonth 2024 and signed by President Joe Biden.

The instrumentality states that the president "shall not suspend, terminate, denounce, oregon retreat the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty, done astatine Washington, DC, April 4, 1949, but by and with the proposal and consent of the Senate, provided that two-thirds of the Senators contiguous concur, oregon pursuant to an Act of Congress."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said successful a post connected X connected Wednesday that the Senate "will not ballot to permission NATO and wantonness our allies conscionable due to the fact that Trump is upset they wouldn't spell on with his reckless warfare of choice." The Senate Democratic caucus is made up of 47 members, who would each but surely reason the move, on with galore Senate Republicans.

But immoderate experts argue that the president could mention enforcement authorization to sidestep the law, successful a determination that would astir surely punctual ineligible challenges.

Meanwhile, adjacent without an authoritative exit, others accidental the president's progressively hostile stance toward the confederation whitethorn permission it weakened. Already, the U.S. has taken connected a smaller relation successful military exercises as the medication has enactment unit connected European nations to measurement up their defence spending. And immoderate person pointed to concerns that the U.S. whitethorn not grant its Article 5 obligations oregon proceed to widen its atomic deterrence to subordinate countries.

Ian Bremmer, president and laminitis of the Eurasia Group, noted successful a post connected X that the president can't legally retreat from NATO without the Senate's consent. But if NATO members "can't trust" that the U.S. volition grant Article 5, helium said, "the confederation is already breached successful the mode that matters most."

Tucker Reals and Haley Ott contributed to this report.

In: