This is going to be verrrry interesting.
🚨 President Trump said he is thinking about leaving NATO and he doesn’t need Congressional Approval to do it
What’s interesting is that within the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by then… https://t.co/08SFnfZkWR pic.twitter.com/VYIoyLFciX
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) March 17, 2026
Congress passed a law in 2024 restricting unilateral withdrawal
In December 2023, Congress added a provision to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that says:
- A president may NOT withdraw from NATO without Senate approval or an act of Congress.
This was a direct response to concerns about presidential authority over alliances.
So legally, the president is not allowed to leave NATO alone.
Could a president try to ignore the law?
A president could attempt to withdraw anyway, but:
- It would immediately trigger a constitutional fight
- Congress would challenge it in court
- The courts would have to decide whether treaty withdrawal is a presidential or congressional power
This has never been tested, so the outcome is uncertain — but the law on the books says Congress must approve.
The Constitution says how to join treaties — but not how to leave them
Article II requires 2/3 Senate approval to enter a treaty.
But the Constitution is silent on withdrawal. It never says:
- who has the power to exit a treaty
- whether Congress must approve
- whether the president can act alone
That silence is what creates the legal gray area.