WSJ: Trump 'Seriously Discussing' NATO Withdrawal; Economist Cites European 'Funeral Mood'

The Wall Street Journal published a major investigative report on April 5 stating that Trump is 'seriously discussing' withdrawal from NATO, citing senior administration and European diplomatic sources. The Economist separately described a 'funeral mood' among European leaders who increasingly believe the US-NATO relationship may be irreparably damaged. The WSJ analysis noted that while formal withdrawal requires a two-thirds Senate supermajority under the 2024 Prohibiting American Withdrawal from NATO Act, Trump could 'hollow out' NATO through executive action by reducing US military presence in Europe — requiring no congressional approval. European officials quoted anonymously described the situation as unlike anything in alliance history, with contingency planning for a post-US-anchor European security architecture accelerating. The reporting amplified a deepening sense among European capitals that the Iran war had not merely strained NATO but fundamentally altered its political foundation.