'We really should': Musk advocates for US withdrawal from NATO
What's the story
Billionaire entrepreneur and head of the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk, has openly supported a US exit from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Musk's endorsement came in response to an X post proposing the move, where he wrote, "We really should." The statement highlights Musk's opinion that America's financial contributions to the defense of Europe are not warranted.
Musk's stance
Musk questions NATO's relevance
Notably, Musk had previously raised questions about NATO's relevance and its survival after its opponent, the Warsaw Pact, ceased to exist. In March 2024, he had tweeted about his curiosity. His latest remarks on X further underscore his view of NATO and America's place in it. This isn't the first time Musk has hinted at rethinking America's participation in global alliances.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Musk's post
We really should.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2025
Doesn’t make sense for America to pay for the defense of Europe. https://t.co/jXs6yNA8Re
Previous demands
Trump also questioned US spending on NATO
Musk's views are similar to those of the US President Donald Trump. Trump had questioned the justification of US spending on NATO, saying while America was protecting NATO members, they were "not protecting us." He had also asked other NATO members to raise their defense spending from the current 2% of GDP to 5%, a demand that none of the member nations met.