President Trump to Exit US From NATO Amid War With Iran, Gives Reason
- President Donald Trump said the US was considering leaving NATO after allies failed to support it in the Iran war
- He described the US alliance with NATO as a "paper tiger" and said withdrawal was now unavoidable
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US spends trillions funding NATO, which cannot meet its mandate
President Donald Trump of the United States has disclosed that he was considering pulling his country out of NATO, following the failure of members to support the US military operation against Iran in the Middle East.
The US president described the alliance with NATO as a "paper tiger", noting that removing the country from the defence alliance was now "beyond reconsideration."
Source: Twitter
Trump's plan for NATO
Trump commented while speaking in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, according to Yahoo News, when he was asked about the possibility of his reconsidering the membership of the US in NATO after the war with Iran.
His statement reads in part:
"I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way."
Buttressing Trump's point, Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, explained that America funds NATO with billions of dollars to open military bases in European countries and was there for many of the allies when the US is needed; now, they denied America their own support.
Americans react as US speaks on NATO
However, Rubio's comment has started generating reactions from Americans. Below are some of their comments:
George Banks questioned Trump's claims
"'We’ve already won' followed immediately by 'everyone else needs to step up'. A strategic contradiction, I would call it. If the battlefield has truly been settled, then why the pressure campaign on allies? Either the threat is neutralised, or it isn’t. You don’t declare checkmate and then ask the board for reinforcements."
Source: Getty Images
Wonky faulted the Secretary of State's statement:
“'Sending trillions of dollars' is simply a flat lie from Rubio, and he knows it. The US has a total defence budget of $961 Billion, and around $50 Billion of it is spent on operations in other NATO countries, and that in itself isn’t a gesture of charity; it’s because the US uses bases overseas strategically."
Angelica Wolf spoke on why NATO turned down the US:
"Because the entire world has been taking advantage of the US. And the American people are tired of it. In fact, it's sad that our politicians have allowed it and even participated with them while people are suffering greatly. Thank you @SecRubio."
Mr Peckerwood
"NATO isn't a resource to be tapped every time you want to go to war w/ someone. No NATO nation was attacked by Iran. You attacked first & wonder why nobody helped you. I, too, wonder "Why do we send trillions of dollars & have all of these American forces stationed in the region?"
See the video of Rubio on X below:
US rolls out Iran's sins
Legit.ng earlier reported that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, claimed that Iran had been killing Americans across the world for the past 47 years.
Rubio maintained that past presidents of the United States refused to stop Iran, but President Donald Trump decided not to let it go.
The Secretary of State made the comment while speaking at a press conference alongside President Trump at the White House on Thursday, March 26.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
