Guardrail reinstated

Over his failed term as President of the United States, Donald Trump has often displayed his aversion to alliances, particularly NATO. Although Trump did not go so far as withdraw the United States from NATO, he often threatened to do so as he ramped up his attacks on this critical security alliance that has been in effect since 1949.

The thought of Trump pulling the United States out of NATO in a potential second term has been widely anticipated and of great concern. As part of a recent series entitled “If Trump Wins,” The Atlantic went as far as declaring “Trump Will Abandon NATO” as a headline. Not only would Trump be eager to withdraw, but none of the people, such as John Bolton, who succeeded in talking him out of it would be there to act as a guardrail.

Fortunately, the threat of Trump—or any other future President—unilaterally deciding to end U.S. involvement with NATO is essentially over. Part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House on Thursday, withdrawing from NATO would now require Senate approval or a Congressional act. It also means that Trump would no longer be able to use the threat of some easy withdrawal as part of his bluster.

The measure, introduced by Sens. Tim Kaine and Marco Rubio, was bipartisan, and the NDAA passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 87-13. President Joe Biden’s expected signature will put this needed law on the books and remove the Trump threat. As Kaine reminded us, “NATO has held strong in response to Putin’s war in Ukraine and rising challenges around the world.” Kaine added that the bill’s passage “also sends a strong message to authoritarians around the world that the free world remains united.”

It is too early to know who the Republican nominee for President in 2024 will be. However, with Trump as the current frontrunner, taking preemptive legal measures to help ensure that the United States remains a democracy with the power to protect our democratic allies is wise. In 2020, Biden earned more than 7 million votes to defeat Trump, with a 306-232 Electoral College victory. A second Biden win next year would eliminate all remaining threats of a potential second Trump term. It’s the perfect solution.