Trump reveals real reason he no longer wants to be apart of NATO
Topics: Politics, World News, US News, Donald Trump
Jen Thomas
Featured Image Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images
Topics: Politics, World News, US News, Donald Trump
Donald Trump has revealed why he doesn't want to be a part of NATO any longer.
It comes after the president told the Telegraph that his relationship with the scheme is 'beyond reconsideration.'
He continued: "I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way," he added, speaking about the military and political alliance.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that the US will ‘re-examine’ the relationship with NATO, telling Fox News: "If now we have reached a point where the NATO alliance means we can’t use those bases to defend America’s interests, then NATO is a one-way street.
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"If NATO is simply about us having troops in Europe to defend Europe, but when we need them to allow us to use their military bases, their answer is no – then why are we in NATO?”
One commentator on X shared a video of Trump talking about NATO to the press.
He said: "It all began with - if you want to know the truth - Greenland. We want Greenland."
"They don't want to give it to us and I said 'bye bye'... thank you very much everybody" before refusing to take any further questions.
The commenter wrote: "The most powerful military alliance in human history. 75 years of collective defense. The foundation of postwar Western security. Ended because Denmark wouldn’t sell an island."
NATO, which stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is made up of 32 members was first established in 1949 to 'safeguard the freedom and security of its member countries and their one billion people'.
The member countries are also 'committed to protecting each other from any threat', so for Trump to withdraw would be a huge blow.
Back in 2023, the US Congress passed legislation which requires congressional permission in order to withdraw from NATO.
Following Trump's remarks, the response has been mixed.
Trump just explained why he turned on NATO:
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) April 7, 2026
“It all began with Greenland. We want Greenland. They don’t want to give it to us. And I said bye bye.”
The most powerful military alliance in human history.
75 years of collective defense.
The foundation of postwar Western… pic.twitter.com/w2oMgPVBvN
One supporter replied: "If Denmark doesn't want to cooperate with the US, why should the US keep protecting them? Trump is a businessman. He wants a good deal for his country."
They added: "No Greenland, no NATO. It's that simple."
Someone else hit out at the original poster, writing: "Disagree. You are clueless on the geopolitical consequence of Greenland and it shows, Trump was vindicated in his assessment that Europe would act cowardly if the US ever needed them. He was proven right."
Another argued: "They already have a base in Greenland. And they keep whining about the cost of military already. Trump is just not working right."
"Who's we? I don't want Greenland. I don't know anybody who does," wrote one critic.
It remains to be seen whether the US will fully withdraw.