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‘PAPER TIGER!’ Trump calls NATO members ‘cowards’ over Iran

March 20, 2026 | | Print Article

President Donald J. Trump blasted NATO members early Friday, calling them “cowards” for declining to help keep the Strait of Hormuz safe for shipping traffic, vowing to “remember” their failure to stand with the United States.

“Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER! They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

The president added, “Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them, they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!”

Germany, Britain, France, ​Italy, the Netherlands, ⁠Japan, and Canada pledged in a joint statement on Thursday to join “appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage ​through the Strait,” according to Reuters.

The news agency noted that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz “made ​clear that ⁠this presupposed an end to combat,” and quoted French President Emmanuel Macron saying that defending international law and ⁠promoting ​de-escalation was “the best we can do.”

“I ​have not heard anyone here express a willingness to enter this conflict — quite the ​opposite,” Macron added.

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Trump took a shot at NATO earlier this week on Truth Social, calling the alliance a “one way street,” adding that the U.S. does not “need” their assistance.

“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO ‘Allies’ that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon. I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need.”

“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” he added. “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!”

Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:

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Tom Tillison
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