Fact Check: Is Trump’s claim that the US pays trillions to NATO true?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid geopolitical tensions following the failure to reach a deal in peace talks between the United States and Iran, President Donald Trump claimed that the US is paying trillions of dollars to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation every year and called for an end to it. Here is a fact-check of the claim.
Claim: US pays trillions annually to NATO
President Trump, during a Fox Business interview that aired Wednesday, said, “This country should not be paying trillions of dollars to NATO.” He later asked, “Why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO if it will not support the US in the Iran war?”
The claim has sparked speculation and criticism from many, who are questioning whether the US is spending that much money on the organisation.
Fact Check: Trump’s NATO funding claim is exaggerated
Trump’s claim is false, as the US does not pay NATO trillions of dollars every year.
The president has conflated the country’s overall military spending, which is tracked by NATO, with its direct contributions to NATO itself, something he has done for years.
The US does spend hundreds of billions of dollars annually on defense, with the 2026 budget nearing $1 trillion. The Trump administration has suggested raising this to $1.5 trillion for the 2027 fiscal year.
However, only a small fraction of that spending goes directly to NATO. Under existing agreements, the US contributes about 15% of NATO’s direct funding, which amounts to roughly $6.3 billion in 2026.
Even when accounting for broader NATO-related commitments, Trump’s claims about paying trillions to NATO and spending hundreds of billions annually on the alliance are significantly overstated.
Trump criticises NATO over Iran conflict response
Trump’s remarks come as he has sharply criticized NATO’s response to the ongoing conflict. Speaking during a press interaction at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday, April 12, he expressed disappointment over the alliance’s lack of involvement.
These developments follow a fragile ceasefire after six weeks of intense fighting, during which the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on February 28 targeting Iran’s political and military leadership after negotiations over its nuclear program collapsed.
"They're going to be coming up, but I'm very disappointed in NATO. They didn't do this. They weren't there for us."
Trump continued, "We pay trillions of dollars for NATO, and they weren't there for us. Remember what I said, NATO was not there. Now they want to come up, but there's no real threat anymore."
