Thomas Massie Moves To Pull US From 'Cold War Relic' NATO: America Shouldn't Be The World's 'Security Blanket'

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has introduced legislation to pull the United States out of NATO, sharpening an internal Republican clash over the alliance even as President Donald Trump keeps pressuring European partners on defense spending.

Massie's NATO Act Targets Funding And Membership

The bill, H.R. 6508, dubbed the NATO Act, would direct the president to formally notify allies of U.S. withdrawal under Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty and bar the use of U.S. taxpayer money for NATO's common budgets, including its civil, military and infrastructure funds.

"NATO is a Cold War relic. We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist countries," Massie said in a press release on Tuesday, adding, "America should not be the world's security blanket—especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense."

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) is co-sponsoring the bill, while Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has filed companion legislation in the Senate.

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New Law And Public Opinion Complicate Exit

Massie's push collides with a law Congress passed in 2023 that aims to stop any president from unilaterally quitting NATO, requiring approval from two-thirds of the Senate or an act of Congress before the U.S. can leave.

Public opinion also runs the other way. An AP-NORC poll in 2024 found 61% of Americans say NATO membership is good for the United States, while Pew Research reported in 2025 that six in 10 adults hold a favorable view of the alliance, with support strongest among Democrats but still significant among Republicans.

Trump Pressures Allies As NATO Boosts Spending

According to two separate Reuters reports from 2024, Trump has repeatedly tied U.S. defense commitments to how much allies spend, telling one interviewer the United States would only help protect NATO members "if" they paid more and triggering criticism after suggesting he would even encourage Russia to act against laggards.

Under that pressure, NATO leaders this year adopted a new pledge to spend 5% of GDP on defense by 2035, including a 3.5% floor for core military outlays.

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