Threats to Withdraw from NATO and Encouragement of Russian Aggression Against Allied Nations
Tier 3Documented2017-05-25 to 2024-02-10
Factual Summary
Throughout his presidency and his 2024 campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly questioned the United States' commitment to NATO's mutual defense obligations under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which provides that an attack on one member state is considered an attack on all.
At the May 2017 NATO summit in Brussels, Trump declined to explicitly affirm the United States' commitment to Article 5, becoming the first president to do so at such a gathering. His prepared remarks were expected to include an endorsement of mutual defense, but the language was removed from the final speech. He instead lectured allied leaders about defense spending shortfalls. Trump did subsequently affirm Article 5 in a joint press conference, but only after sustained international pressure.
Throughout his presidency, Trump privately told senior advisers that he wanted to withdraw the United States from NATO, according to reporting by the New York Times and multiple former administration officials. Senior aides, including National Security Adviser John Bolton, worked to prevent such a withdrawal. In 2019, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan measure prohibiting the use of federal funds to withdraw from NATO.
On February 10, 2024, at a campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recounted telling an unnamed foreign leader that he would "encourage" Russia "to do whatever the hell they want" to NATO allies that failed to meet their defense spending commitments. Trump stated that when asked whether the United States would still protect a member nation that had not paid enough, he responded: "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg responded publicly, stating: "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk." The White House under President Biden called Trump's remarks "unhinged" and "appalling."
Primary Sources
1. NATO, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty (1949): https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_110496.htm
2. Transcript of Trump rally, Conway, South Carolina, February 10, 2024
3. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, official statement responding to Trump's remarks, February 2024
4. H.R. 676, NATO Support Act, passed by the House in January 2019
Corroborating Sources
1. NPR: "Trump says he'd encourage Russia to attack NATO allies who don't pay their bills," February 11, 2024
2. Washington Post: "Trump suggests he would refuse to honor NATO treaty, encouraged Russian attacks on U.S. allies," February 10, 2024
3. CNN: "Trump says he would encourage Russia to 'do whatever the hell they want' to any NATO country that doesn't pay enough," February 10, 2024
4. NBC News: "Trump draws backlash after saying he'd let Russia attack NATO countries he deems 'delinquent,'" February 10, 2024
5. PBS NewsHour: "Fact-checking Trump's comments urging Russia to invade 'delinquent' NATO members," February 2024
Counterarguments and Context
Trump and his defenders argued that his comments were a negotiating tactic designed to pressure NATO allies into meeting the alliance's defense spending guideline of 2% of GDP, a target that many members had not met for years. They noted that defense spending among NATO allies increased during Trump's first term, partly in response to his pressure. Trump characterized his approach as honest dealmaking that served American interests by ensuring that the United States was not disproportionately bearing the burden of European defense. The 2% target was a guideline, not a binding obligation, and the debate over burden-sharing within NATO predates Trump by decades. Supporters also argued that Trump's rhetoric did not reflect his actual policy, as the United States did not withdraw from NATO during his first term.
Author's Note
No prior American president has publicly encouraged a hostile foreign power to attack allied nations. Article 5 has been invoked once in NATO's history, by the United States after September 11, 2001, when allied forces fought alongside American troops in Afghanistan. More than 1,000 allied soldiers died in the subsequent war on terror. Trump's framing of mutual defense as a transactional arrangement based on financial contributions contradicts the foundational premise of the alliance and the sacrifices already made by member states on behalf of the United States.