Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) issued a stark warning Tuesday to President Trump, cautioning that a unilateral move to withdraw the United States from NATO could fracture the Republican Party and trigger long-lasting internal divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cIf he broke up NATO on his own, it would be a civil war in the Republican caucus, or the conference,\u201d Bacon warned CNN\u2019s Kaitlan Collins. \u201cMost of us would find that totally unacceptable, and I\u2019m not alone. There\u2019s a large group of us that believe in our alliances and standing up for freedom and pushing back on China and Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want war with these guys, but you\u2019ve got to be strong, and if he went in and somehow destroyed or tore up NATO, it would probably destroy the party for many years,\u201d he added. \u201cThere would be many that will never forgive that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Bacon, a retired Air Force general who has often positioned himself as a more traditional, internationalist Republican, has at times broken with Trump on foreign policy and national security issues. While not a consistent antagonist of the former president, he has repeatedly defended U.S. alliances and a robust global posture\u2014placing him at odds with Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A moment later, Bacon reiterated that he believes the GOP \u201cwould implode\u201d if the U.S. were to depart NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His comments came after Trump sharply criticized the alliance earlier Tuesday in a Truth Social post, arguing that U.S. military strength makes reliance on allies unnecessary. The president lashed out at countries reluctant to support U.S. operations tied to escalating tensions with Iran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cBecause of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer \u2018need,\u2019 or desire, the NATO Countries\u2019 assistance \u2014 WE NEVER DID!\u201d Trump wrote. \u201cLikewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Trump has also been pushing for an international coalition to escort commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route that has been closed since late February amid the conflict with Iran. The disruption has driven sharp increases in oil, gas, and fertilizer prices worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Wednesday, President Trump\u00a0escalated his rhetoric and floated the idea of shifting responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz to other countries that rely on the strategic shipping route after the U.S. has \u201cfinished off\u201d Iran, in a jab at America\u2019s \u201cnon-responsive allies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wonder what would happen if we \u2018finished off\u2019 what\u2019s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don\u2019t, be responsible for the so-called \u2018Strait?\u2019 That would get some of our non-responsive \u2018Allies\u2019 in gear, and fast!!!,\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moments later he added: \u201cRemember, for all of those absolute \u201cfools\u201d out there, Iran is considered, by everyone, to be the NUMBER ONE STATE SPONSOR OF TERROR. We are rapidly putting them out of business!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite his criticism of NATO, Trump warned Sunday that the alliance faces a \u201cvery bad\u201d future if member nations do not contribute more to joint security efforts. He has long argued that NATO countries fail to meet defense spending commitments and has repeatedly threatened to withdraw the U.S. from the alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bacon\u2019s warning underscores the divide between Republicans on the issue. As a lawmaker preparing to leave Congress, bacon has opted to speak more candidly about the potential political consequences of Trump\u2019s foreign policy approach. His comments reflect broader concerns among establishment-minded Republicans who view NATO as central to U.S. global leadership and national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Formed in 1949 to counter Soviet expansion, NATO remains a cornerstone of Western military cooperation. While some Republicans aligned with Trump have dismissed it as outdated, others\u2014like Bacon\u2014argue that abandoning the alliance would not only weaken U.S. influence abroad but is also likely to ignite a damaging rift at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n