White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is actively weighing a potential U.S. withdrawal from NATO and plans to discuss the issue directly with Secretary General Mark Rutte later in the day, signaling what could be an escalation toward concrete action.
During the afternoon briefing, Leavitt confirmed that the possibility of leaving the alliance remains under consideration.
“It’s something the president has discussed, and I think it’s something the president will be discussing in a couple of hours with Secretary General Rutte,” she said when asked whether withdrawal was still on the table.
“And perhaps you’ll hear directly from the president following that meeting later this afternoon,” she added.
The remarks come as Trump has intensified his criticism of NATO, particularly after several European allies restricted U.S. military access and declined support during the recent Iran conflict. Trump has argued that the alliance failed to back the United States despite decades of American defense spending on behalf of its partners.
Leavitt underscored that frustration by sharing a direct statement from the president during the briefing: “They were tested, and they failed.” She added, “It’s quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks when it’s the American who have been funding their defense.”
Her comments followed a question about a joint statement from some European allies pledging that “our governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” When asked whether that commitment might ease tensions ahead of Trump’s meeting with Rutte, Leavitt indicated the president remains dissatisfied and intends to have “a very frank and candid conversation.”
Trump has repeatedly voiced his grievances with NATO in recent weeks, describing the alliance as unreliable in moments of crisis.
“One thing — we’re very disappointed, I’ll say it publicly — we are very disappointed with NATO, because NATO has done absolutely nothing. And I’ve always said, 25 years ago, and I was somebody that wasn’t a politician, but I was always involved in politics, and I understood politics, I said 25 years ago that NATO’s a paper tiger, but more importantly, that we’ll come to their rescue, but they will never come to ours,” Trump said last month.
“And I want you to remember that we said this. They didn’t come to our rescue. Now they all want to help. When they’re annihilated — the other side is annihilated — they said, ‘We’d love to send ships.’ They actually made a statement, a couple of them, that we want to get involved when the war is over. No, it’s supposed to get involved at the war’s beginning, or even before it begins.”
Trump has gone further in other recent remarks, saying he is “absolutely” considering withdrawing from NATO altogether and suggesting the alliance’s future is “beyond reconsideration” following disputes over the Iran conflict and allied refusals to support U.S. operations, including efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
For decades, NATO has been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, binding the United States, Canada, and much of Europe to a collective defense pact. A U.S. withdrawal would represent a historic shift in global security and would likely face significant bipartisan opposition in Congress.
Still, Trump has previously withdrawn from major international agreements and could seek to challenge a 2023 law requiring congressional approval to exit NATO, arguing it infringes on presidential authority over foreign policy and military command.
With Trump now preparing to confront NATO’s top official directly, the meeting with Rutte could mark a pivotal moment in determining whether the administration moves from rhetoric toward actual steps to leave the alliance.
