Axios: NATO in 'US-Induced Coma'; Former Ambassador Daalder Warns on Article 5

Major US outlets published sweeping analyses of the NATO crisis following Trump's paper tiger declaration and Hegseth's Article 5 refusal. Axios described NATO as in a 'US-induced coma,' quoting former US Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder: 'The big question is, let's say there is an actual armed attack on NATO. Would there be a political decision [by Trump] to come to the aid of that ally?' NPR and the Washington Post also analyzed the legal constraints on a US withdrawal, noting the 2024 Prohibiting American Withdrawal from NATO Act (originally co-authored by Rubio) requires a two-thirds Senate supermajority. Legal scholars quoted by NPR said Trump could effectively hollow out NATO without formal withdrawal by simply reducing US military presence in Europe — a path requiring no congressional approval. The analyses landed as European allies processed whether their Article 5 protections were still operational.