Making the Case for NATO

 

This week, Donald Trump is traveling to Ankara for the 2026 NATO Summit. For nearly 80 years, NATO has been the foundation of America's security strategy – deterring our adversaries, preventing major wars in Europe, and ensuring the United States never has to confront global threats alone. Rather than carrying the burden by ourselves, NATO allows America to share the responsibility for defending our common interests with dozens of capable allies.

In spite of that, Donald Trump has spent years attacking the alliance, questioning its value, and casting doubt on America's commitment to our closest allies. While most Americans continue to support NATO, Trump's misguided and misleading criticisms have resonated with some voters who believe the United States spends too much time and money overseas while Americans face pressing challenges at home.

That is why it is important to make clear that NATO is not charity, nor is it a protection racket. It is one of America's greatest strategic advantages.

Talking Points:

  • NATO makes us stronger and safer. America's greatest strategic advantage is not simply the strength of our military – it is the unmatched network of allies and partners that stand alongside us. Those partnerships help ensure that America does not face its greatest challenges alone, and NATO is pivotal to our nation’s strength and security.

  • NATO keeps America out of wars. For nearly 80 years, this alliance has deterred aggression against NATO members, prevented major conflicts in Europe, and helped preserve peace across the continent and North America. NATO's greatest success is the wars that never happen – reducing the likelihood that American service members will be drawn into larger, more costly conflicts.

  • NATO helps share the burden of defense. NATO allows America to share the burden of security rather than carrying it alone. Together, NATO allies field more than 3 million active-duty troops and spend over $1 trillion annually on defense. As our allies invest more in their own militaries – a priority across administrations – it reduces the burden placed on American taxpayers and American service members.

  • NATO’s unity is its strength. There is a reason Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and other authoritarian leaders seek to divide or undermine NATO. They would welcome a weakened NATO because it would leave America and its allies weaker and more isolated.

Combatting Trump’s Narratives:

“NATO is ineffective and no longer serves our interests.”

  • NATO is the most successful alliance in history – helping to prevent major wars for more than 80 years. NATO faced down the Communist bloc in the Cold War and today provides security for approximately one billion people in Europe and North America.

  • If NATO were no longer effective, Russia and China would not devote so much time and energy to undermining it.

“NATO would not come to our defense if we needed it.”

  • Our allies have already demonstrated that they are willing to fight alongside American troops.

  • The only time NATO’s collective defense has ever been invoked was after the terrorist attacks of September 11th – when our allies came to America’s defense. More than 1,000 service members from NATO allies lost their lives fighting alongside the United States in Afghanistan.

“NATO didn’t help our war with Iran.”

  • Donald Trump chose not to consult or coordinate with many of our closest allies before launching his disastrous war with Iran – and is now desperate to blame them for the consequences of his recklessness.

  • You cannot act recklessly on your own, keep your allies in the dark, create global economic havoc, and then blame others for not participating.

“Our NATO allies aren’t paying their fair share.”

  • Democratic and Republican administrations alike have encouraged NATO allies to increase their own defense spending – and they have. Under President Biden, the majority of NATO allies began spending a collective 2% of GDP on defense – a goal originally set out in 2014 under President Obama’s leadership.

  • Several allies, including Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania contribute more than 4% of their GDP on defense – a higher share than the United States.

Published: July 2026