Fewer than half of Americans believe the bloc would come to the defense of the US if attacked, according to an internal poll seen by the outlet
Support for NATO in the US has slipped following President Donald Trump’s repeated criticism of the military bloc, according to an internal survey seen by Politico.
In a report released last week citing polling data, Politico said just 43% of US adults believe NATO would honor Article 5 – the bloc’s collective defense clause in which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all – if the US came under attack. This is the lowest level of confidence among the bloc’s 32 members and well below the 57% average.
The data did not include a year-on-year comparison, but sources familiar with last year’s results said the bloc-wide average has fallen by around eight percentage points since 2025, with the decline driven primarily by the US.
While overall support for NATO remains relatively strong, with 72% describing the transatlantic partnership as important, the poll pointed to shifting attitudes toward Russia and China across member states.
Despite the bloc officially labeling Russia as a threat and China as a “systemic challenge,” favorable views of Russia rose from 12% last year to 17%, and favorable views of China increased from 17% to 22%. Support for Ukraine slipped from 59% to 55%.
The survey was reportedly conducted among more than 31,000 people from March to April. A NATO official declined to comment on the findings, saying they are “for internal use.”
Analysts suggest the shift in US public opinion reflects Trump’s repeated criticism of NATO.
For years, Trump has accused European NATO members of failing to spend enough on their own defense. Last week, he called the relationship with NATO “one sided” and said it is “ridiculous” to maintain it, pointing to the gap in defense spending between the US and its allies in a Truth Social post. The post came ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, which begins on Tuesday.
The rift widened after NATO members refused to back Trump’s bid to acquire Greenland from Denmark last year and grew further over the US-Israeli war against Iran this year. During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte last month, Trump said he was “disappointed with most of” the NATO allies for refusing to provide access to their bases and airspace for US aircraft involved in the operation, despite the US maintaining tens of thousands of troops across Europe ostensibly to help defend the continent.
Amid Trump’s criticism, in June, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of America’s military footprint in Europe, warning that future troop deployments, funding, and basing arrangements will depend on whether NATO members meet Washington’s demands.
