President Donald Trump on Wednesday doubled down on threats to pull the United States out of NATO, telling Reuters he is “absolutely” considering an exit and is expected to rebuke the alliance for its lack of cooperation in a nationally televised address at 9 p.m. Eastern, according to Reuters.

The comments to Reuters came just hours after earlier remarks to The Telegraph, marking a sharp escalation as Trump signaled he will use the primetime speech to air grievances with allies he says have failed to support U.S. military efforts tied to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.

“I’m absolutely considering it,” Trump told Reuters, adding that he plans to lay out his frustrations directly to the American public in a speech expected to sharply criticize NATO, according to Reuters.

The president indicated the address will center on what he views as the alliance’s unwillingness to back U.S. operations, framing the dispute as a defining test of NATO’s value to Washington, Reuters reported.

The remarks build on his interview with The Telegraph, where Trump first raised the possibility of withdrawal and accused European allies of benefiting from U.S. protection while offering limited support in return, according to The Telegraph.

Trump told Reuters he believes NATO has failed to align with U.S. interests during the current crisis, describing the alliance as ineffective as tensions escalate in the Middle East, Reuters reported.

The immediate source of friction is the refusal by several NATO members to support U.S. operations aimed at countering Iranian actions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route, according to Reuters.

European governments including France, Italy, and Spain have resisted U.S. requests for military participation or expanded access to bases, with officials telling Reuters the alliance is designed for collective defense in Europe rather than offensive missions in the Gulf, according to Reuters.

French officials told Reuters that NATO “is not an organization for projecting power in the Middle East,” underscoring a widening divide over the alliance’s role, according to Reuters.

Trump has cast that reluctance as a failure of burden-sharing, telling Reuters that allies are not doing enough to support the United States despite longstanding American commitments to European security, according to Reuters.

The threat of a U.S. withdrawal has drawn concern on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers in both parties have previously moved to block any unilateral exit and reinforce the alliance, according to Reuters.

Congress passed legislation in 2023 requiring congressional approval before a president can withdraw from NATO, a measure designed in response to Trump’s earlier threats to leave the alliance, Reuters reported.

Lawmakers including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Tim Kaine have backed such efforts in the past, warning that a U.S. withdrawal from NATO would severely damage national security and alliances, according to congressional statements and prior reporting cited by Reuters.

Other members of Congress have similarly emphasized that weakening NATO could embolden adversaries and undermine decades of transatlantic security cooperation, according to Reuters.

Analysts told Reuters that even the threat of a U.S. exit could trigger one of the most serious crises in NATO’s history by undermining confidence in the alliance’s mutual defense guarantees, according to Reuters.

Experts warned that uncertainty over U.S. commitment could weaken deterrence and destabilize the post-World War II security order anchored by NATO since 1949, according to Reuters.

The legal pathway for withdrawal remains unclear, with Trump and his advisers arguing that restrictions on exiting treaties may be unconstitutional and likely to spark a court fight if tested, according to Reuters.

The White House has not released details of the planned speech, but Trump told Reuters it will address what he calls NATO’s failures and outline his expectations for allies going forward, according to Reuters.

The escalating rhetoric follows weeks of strain between Washington and European capitals over the Iran conflict, with multiple NATO countries distancing themselves from U.S. military actions in the region, according to Reuters.

Trump’s decision to threaten withdrawal while promising a direct rebuke of NATO in a primetime address now sets the stage for a pivotal moment in transatlantic relations, with allies and lawmakers alike bracing for what could become a historic rupture in the Western alliance, according to Reuters.