Trump Throws a Tantrum! US Considers Withdrawing from NATO, Calls It a 'Paper Tiger'
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering withdrawing the United States from NATO, in the latest threat against Washington’s allies after they refused to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Trump described the 77-year-old defence alliance as a “paper tiger”. When asked if he would reconsider US membership in the bloc after the Iran conflict ends, Trump said, “Oh yes, I would say that’s more than just something to reconsider.”
“I was never impressed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Vladimir Putin knows it too, by the way,” he said in comments published on Wednesday (1/4/2026).
Trump is angry because European allies refused to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route for oil and gas controlled by Iran, and declined to provide military base access for the US to launch attacks against the Islamic Republic.
European leaders view any attempt to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as highly dangerous, as Iran continues to attack tankers in the strait that are not considered from “friendly” countries.
Officials also argue that Trump’s war against Iran is his own choice, and they were not consulted before the conflict began at the end of February. There is also reluctance to become involved in another potentially “endless war” in the Middle East, like those in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Trump insisted he sees this reluctance as a betrayal of NATO towards the US after Washington helped Ukraine in its four-year conflict against Russia. Opponents of this view argue that NATO is based on the idea of collective defence, not offensive operations.
Trump told The Telegraph that he expected allies to approve the US request for assistance in the Iran conflict.
“Not only absent, it’s actually unbelievable. And I didn’t do a big lobby. I just said, ‘Hey’, you know, I wasn’t too pushy. I just thought it should be automatic,” he said.
“We were there automatically, including for Ukraine. Ukraine is not our problem. It was a test, and we were there for them, and we will always be there for them. They are not there for us,” he added.
Trump’s comments come after he warned the UK and France on Tuesday that the US “will not be there to help you again.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “The country of France does not allow planes heading to Israel, carrying military supplies, to fly over French territory.”
“France is VERY UNHELPFUL regarding ‘Hunt Iran,’ which has been successfully eliminated! The United States will REMEMBER!!!,” he wrote.
In another post, Trump specifically criticised the UK while urging other countries to act in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route effectively blocked by Iran during the war.
“All countries that cannot get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the UK, which refuses to get involved in decapitating Iran’s leadership, I have advice for you,” he wrote.
“Number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty, and Number 2, muster the overdue courage, go to that strait, and just TAKE it.”
In comments published on Wednesday, Trump again reprimanded the UK, even implying that the Royal Navy is inadequate. “You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and have aircraft carriers that don’t work,” he said, referring to the British warship fleet.
Trump told The Telegraph that he would not tell UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer what to do regarding increasing defence spending.
“He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter. All Starmer wants is expensive wind turbines that make your energy prices skyrocket,” he said.
Other senior officials have also signalled that the US could leave NATO, though it is unclear how serious the threat is. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington must “reassess” relations with NATO after the Iran war ends.
“If NATO is only about us defending Europe if they are attacked but then refuse base usage rights when we need them, that’s not a very good arrangement. It’s hard to stay engaged and say this is good for the United States. So all of that needs to be reassessed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Starmer said there is “enormous pressure” for the UK to change its stance on the Iran war, but he refused.
“There is quite a lot of pressure on me to change my position on joining the [Iran] war, and I will not change my position on the war,” he said.
“Whatever the pressure, whatever the noise, I am the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and I must act in our national interest.”
Starmer added that he would not choose between the US and Europe, but signalled that ties with the European continent are increasingly important.
“But I also think that when it comes to defence and security, energy emissions, and the economy, we need stronger ties with Europe.”
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he had spoken with Trump. “Constructive discussion and exchange of ideas on NATO, Ukraine, and Iran. Issues are there to be solved pragmatically,” he wrote on social media platform X.