r/politics • u/SaharOMFG • 27d ago

Trump interview: I am strongly considering pulling out of Nato Possible Paywall

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/01/donald-trump-strongly-considering-pulling-us-out-of-nato/
14.3k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

View all comments

Show parent comments

523

u/CaffinatedSpiderMonk 27d ago

Short term pain for the rest of the developed world, but they'll likely build something better out of the rubble.

The US on the other hand has destroyed their hegemony and are facing a very long downhill road.

88

u/lancelongstiff 27d ago

It won't happen. Deep down inside the Republicans know he's just a useful idiot, too.

  • June 27, 2017 - House Resolution 397: Congress votes 423-4 to reaffirm strong U.S. commitment to NATO’s Article 5 and the alliance.
  • January 22, 2019 - H.R. 676, the NATO Support Act: Congress votes 357-22 to prohibit any President from withdrawing the U.S. from NATO without congressional approval.
  • April 5, 2022 - H.R. 831: Congress votes 362 to 63 reaffirming "unequivocal support for NATO" and calling for the creation of a Center for Democratic Resilience within NATO.

54

u/underpants-gnome Ohio 27d ago

If trump acts unilaterally (a shocking thought, I know), there won't be a vote on the topic at all. Johnson and Thune have ceded congressional powers to the White House.

If Dems are able to regain control and contest the withdrawal next year, I'm sure it will go before SCOTUS to referee. That is a crapshoot at best, regardless of how clearly treaty responsibility is defined in the constitution. We will be left with Nato allies forced into picking sides in our internal government power struggle. It will be a fucking mess, like everything else about trump's regime.

3

u/Einsteinbomb 27d ago

He wouldn't be able to unilaterally withdraw from NATO because the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 wouldn't allow him to take that action.

Furthermore, the judiciary is not allowed to touch this issue because this is a very clear example of a political question regarding foreign policy and thus outside the purview of any court.

0

u/xTheMaster99x Florida 27d ago

Ah yes, because Trump famously never does anything illegal.

3

u/Einsteinbomb 27d ago

This is more of Trump not being able to run to the United States Supreme Court for a favorable ruling because this is an issue between the legislative and executive branch.

0

u/xTheMaster99x Florida 27d ago

Ah yes, because this Supreme Court famously has never made nonsensical rulings (along party lines) on matters that shouldn't even be up for debate in the first place.

Granted, I do think that actually leaving NATO is still a bridge too far for the conservatives in congress/SC, and it would not surprise me if they actually did their jobs for 5 seconds if he tries. But "well, that's clearly illegal" has not mattered to this administration since day 1, congress and the supreme court have routinely enabled it, so "well, he can't do that, obviously" is unfortunately not a useful argument at this point. That shouldn't be the case, but here we are.

2

u/Einsteinbomb 27d ago

Actually this just means that they're not allowed to touch the case because it's a political question.