A 2023 social media post by former Senator Marco Rubio has resurfaced as President Donald Trump said he is considering pulling the United States out of NATO.
The post stated that no president should withdraw from the alliance without Senate approval.
The development comes after Trump criticized NATO allies for refusing to support U.S. military action in the Iran war.
Trump Considers NATO Withdrawal
Trump told Reuters on Wednesday that he would address the nation later that day and discuss his “disgust” with NATO. Asked if he was thinking about leaving the alliance, he said: “Oh, absolutely without question. Wouldn’t you do that if you were me?”
The remarks followed allies’ refusal to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran conflict. Trump has demanded that European NATO members join a “coalition of the willing” for the operation.
He also threatened to stop supplying weapons that Europe has bought for Ukraine unless they backed the U.S. effort.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to NATO’s collective defense.
He said decisions on the alliance would be left to the president and added that countries unwilling to stand with the U.S. weaken the alliance.
Allies reacted quickly. Poland’s Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz called for calm and said there is no NATO without the United States. A German government spokesperson said Germany remains committed to NATO.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would act in its own interest and should build closer economic and defense ties with Europe.
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France stated that NATO is a military alliance for the security of territories in the Euro-Atlantic area and is not intended for operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Italy and Spain restricted U.S. military aircraft from using their airspace or bases for missions related to Iran.
Rubio’s 2023 Warning Returns
The 2023 post by the current secretary of state Rubio gained new attention after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer referenced it. Schumer said:
“I can promise this: The Senate will not vote to leave NATO and abandon our allies just because Trump is upset they wouldn’t go along with his reckless war of choice.”
Schumer thanked Rubio for sponsoring a bill in 2023 that would require a two-thirds vote of the Senate to withdraw from NATO.
Rubio’s archived post from Dec. 14, 2023, read: “No U.S. President should be able to withdraw from NATO without Senate approval.”
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The bill aimed to prevent any president from acting alone on the issue. Rubio, now serving as secretary of state, has not issued a new statement on the resurfaced post or Trump’s latest comments.
Why This Matters
The resurfaced post and bill shows the Senate’s role in any decision to leave NATO. Under the 2023 legislation Rubio sponsored, a two-thirds Senate vote would be needed for withdrawal. This requirement could block a unilateral move even if the president pushes for it.
The current dispute over the Iran war has sharpened the debate. Allies have refused to join U.S. operations in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to Trump’s threat.
