Donald Trump will continue America's relationship with NATO when he takes office, President Barack Obama confirmed Monday.
During a White House news conference hours before he was scheduled to depart for his final international trip as president, Obama spoke about the meeting he had with Trump last week — which occurred less than two days after Trump won the presidential election over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
"One of the great things about the United States is that when it comes to world affairs, the president obviously is the leader of executive branch, the commander-in-chief, the spokesperson for the nation, but the influence and the work that we have is the result not just of the president," Obama said.
"There's enormous continuity beneath the day-to-day news that makes us that indispensable nation when it comes to maintaining order and promoting prosperity around the world. That will continue. In my conversation with the president-elect, he expressed a great interest in maintaining our core strategic relationships, and so one of the messages I will be able to deliver is his commitment to NATO and the Transatlantic Alliance."
Trump hinted during his campaign he was considering taking another look at the NATO agreement and making other countries in the treaty pay their fair share.
After Obama and Trump met in the Oval Office, it is clear Trump will maintain America's position in NATO.
"I think that's one of the most important functions I consider at this stage during this trip is to let them know that there is no weakening when it comes to America's commitment to maintaining a strong and robust nato relationship and a recognition that those alliances aren't just good for Europe, they're good for the United States," Obama said. "And they're vital for the world."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.