New Delhi: As United States President Donald Trump once again raises the possibility of pulling the US out of NATO, support for the alliance among Republicans appears to be slipping, marking a significant shift in public opinion within the party.
A new Pew Research Centre survey published on 6 April, conducted between 23 and 29 March among 3,507 adults across the US, days before Trump said he was “strongly considering” withdrawing from NATO, shows that only around 38 per cent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents believe the country benefits from being part of the alliance. A marked contrast from last year’s 49 per cent.
A clear majority of Republicans (60 per cent), now feel that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation does not benefit the US, as opposed to the 50 per cent in 2025.
The findings point to a growing scepticism within the Republicans towards a military alliance that has long been central to US foreign policy. Yet, the broader American public remains more supportive.
Overall, 59 per cent of Americans say that NATO benefits the US — a figure driven largely by Democrats, among whom backing for the alliance remains overwhelmingly strong at 82 per cent, a view that has held steady over the past five years.
The split is just as stark when it comes to Trump himself. Nearly two-thirds of respondents (63 per cent) say they are not confident that he can make good decisions when it comes to working effectively with the NATO.
Perceptions of Trump, however, are deeply polarised along party lines —around 62 per cent of Republicans say they are very or somewhat confident in his decision-making regarding NATO, compared to just 11 per cent of Democrats. Among Democrats, around two-thirds say they are “not at all confident” in Trump’s ability to manage the alliance.
Within the Republican Party, the divide runs deeper. Younger Republicans, aged 18 to 49 years, are somewhat more likely than those 50 years and older to see value in a NATO membership (42 per cent versus 33 per cent). They are also less confident in Trump’s handling of NATO, with 52 per cent expressing confidence compared to 74 per cent of older republicans.
Ideology also plays a role — conservative Republicans are more likely to trust Trump on NATO (70 per cent) than moderate or liberal ones (52 per cent). By contrast, Democratic opinion on NATO is largely consistent across age groups, though older democrats are slightly more favourable (80 per cent) than those under 50 years of age (71 per cent).
Despite the growing political divide, overall views of NATO in the US remain moderately positive. About 57 per cent of Americans say they have a favourable opinion of the alliance, a figure that has remained relatively stable over the past year. However, Republicans are much less likely (42 per cent) than Democrats (75 per cent) to view NATO favourably, a pattern consistent with previous surveys.
That said, current levels of support are lower than they were in 2022, when NATO saw a surge in public approval in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The dip suggests that while the alliance continues to command majority support, enthusiasm has cooled over time.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)