CNN: 6 in 10 Americans Support NATO Despite Trump's Threats; Pew Shows Republican Support Fell 11 Points in a Year

A CNN analysis published April 10 — titled 'Trump is bullying NATO again. But Americans like the alliance' — highlighted a sharp gap between Trump's hostility toward NATO and US public opinion. Approximately 6 in 10 Americans viewed NATO favorably. Gallup data showed more than three-quarters of Americans supported increasing (28%) or maintaining (49%) current US commitment to NATO — the highest combined total in Gallup polling dating back to 1998. However, a Pew Research Center poll (April 6) found that Republicans saying NATO benefits the US 'a great deal' or 'fair amount' had dropped from 49% to 38% in one year — an 11-point collapse correlated with the Iran war fallout and Trump's sustained anti-NATO messaging. Only 13% of Republicans supported full NATO withdrawal. Axios's concurrent analysis documented Trump's arsenal for damaging the alliance short of formal withdrawal: pulling US officers from NATO's integrated command structure, withholding consensus on alliance decisions, relocating or closing bases in 'unhelpful' states, and reducing intelligence sharing — each of which erodes deterrence without requiring Senate approval. A former deputy assistant secretary of Defense warned: 'There is not a punishment that we're going to give NATO or an ally that doesn't hurt us too.'