Can Trump Withdraw the U.S. from NATO?

President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO due to disagreements regarding Iran, sparking discussions about legal and constitutional conflicts with Congress.

It is unclear whether Trump can unilaterally leave the alliance. The U.S. Constitution states that the president has the power to make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate, but there is no provision for withdrawing from them.

Article 13 of the NATO Treaty states that any party may withdraw after giving one year's notice. In 2023, Congress passed a law prohibiting the president from withdrawing the U.S. from NATO without the approval of two-thirds of the Senate.

Trump has criticized NATO for years. In 2020, a legal advisor to the Department of Justice stated that the president has the sole power to withdraw from treaties. If the matter goes to court, the executive branch could invoke this opinion.

Experts express concerns about the lack of commitment to NATO. According to international law, the head of state generally has the power to withdraw from a treaty if the treaty allows withdrawal and the country complies with the withdrawal procedure.