Trump Suggests Dropping Spain From NATO Alliance Over Defense Spending

In response, Madrid reaffirmed its commitment to the alliance, and the country’s defense minister, Margarita Robles, said that Spain delivered on its pledges.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference following the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025. Omar Havana/Getty Images

President Donald Trump suggested on Oct. 9 that Spain could be thrown out of NATO after Madrid declined to commit to boosting defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

Trump made the remarks during an Oval Office meeting with the leader of the defense alliance’s second-newest member, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, where the world leaders discussed NATO’s almost-universal pledge to increase defense expenditure.