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By Anna Skinner and Gabe Whisnant
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President Donald Trump said Friday during his speech at Turning Point Action that he told the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that the U.S. didn't need its help amid a regional ceasefire and Iran’s reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
"Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is almost over, I received a call from NATO asking if he would like some help. I told them I would have liked your help two months ago, but now I don't want your help anymore," Trump told the crowd in Phoenix, Arizona. "Because they were absolutely useless when we needed them, but actually we never needed them. They need us so badly."
"NATO observed yesterday’s meeting on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and is closely monitoring the military planning being carried out,” a NATO official told Newsweek early Saturday morning.
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Trump announced earlier Friday that U.S. and Iranian negotiators will likely meet this weekend to finalize a deal to end the war in Iran, even as officials caution that major gaps remain.
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Trump said the call from NATO came now that the Strait of Hormuz situation was "almost over." The strait reopened on Friday. Trump likened the exchange with NATO to people who approached him and offered contributions to his campaign after he won his presidential campaign.
"NATO, after we won, that doesn't count either," he said.
He went on to add that the U.S. has spent "close to a trillion dollars over a couple years to help" NATO.
"We're always helping them," he said. "This was just a military excursion."
Earlier this month, Trump once again raised the prospect of the United States withdrawing from NATO, arguing that the alliance failed to support Washington during its recent war with Iran and casting doubt on whether NATO would stand with the U.S. in a future crisis.
While Trump has threatened a NATO exit for years, often tying his criticism to defense spending and burden‑sharing, his language has sharpened since the Iran conflict began in late February. Administration officials have openly suggested that NATO’s unwillingness to provide troops, basing access, or airspace during the war marked a turning point, with the White House describing the alliance as having “turned their backs” on the United States
"We have to rely on ourselves," Trump said at the Turning Point USA event. "We can't rely on outside countries and sources."
Despite the renewed threats, Trump has not formally announced a plan to leave NATO, and any withdrawal would still require congressional approval under a 2023 law. Following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement, Trump has maintained his criticism of the alliance but stopped short of outlining immediate steps to exit, even as uncertainty over America’s long‑term commitment continues to rattle U.S. allies.
Update 4/20/2026, 10:07 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from a NATO official.
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