Trump Tells Reporters He Is 'Absolutely' Considering NATO Withdrawal, Voices 'Disgust' With Alliance

The day after his White House meeting with Rutte, President Trump told reporters on April 9 that he is 'absolutely' considering withdrawing the United States from NATO. Trump said he would be discussing his 'disgust with NATO' and repeated his characterization of the alliance as a 'paper tiger' that failed the test of the Iran war. Trump's 'absolutely considering' formulation went further than any previous statement, moving from rhetorical questioning to an explicit claim of active deliberation on withdrawal. The statement confirmed that the Rutte White House meeting had not changed Trump's fundamental posture toward the alliance. Al Jazeera headlined the post-meeting coverage: 'Trump slams NATO over Iran after meeting Rutte, renews Greenland threat.' OAN reported Trump anticipated voicing his 'disgust' in an address to the nation. Euronews ran a newsletter titled 'NATO holds after Rutte-Trump talks amid fragile ceasefire with Iran' — noting the alliance had avoided a formal rupture but remained under acute existential stress.