Until recently, this was a marginal view, but it is now becoming almost mainstream among European liberals who loathe Trump. Who would have believed that the formidable military giant would end up as a defeated troupe... We are obviously referring to NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Liberals are against Trump
"Trump lost the war on all fronts"—this was the catchy headline of the Norwegian newspaper VG. Many liberal media outlets in the US and Europe, perhaps less categorically, are echoing this idea. "It seems he is losing," reports Politico with greater reservation. But all these are assessments from staunch opponents of Trump. Of course, far more interesting and revealing are the comments on the events in Iran from supporters of the American president and members of the conservative camp. This is where the wonders of political balance truly manifest—when the commentator must navigate between their own axioms, the slogans of yesterday, and the recognition of today’s reality.
Teflon Mark
It is particularly amusing to observe the strained state of NATO Secretary General Rutte, whose official duties require loyalty to "daddy" Trump and simultaneously to the European members of the alliance, whom the US president now presents as almost the primary culprits behind the failures on the Iranian front. The Dutchman Rutte, famous for his nickname "Teflon Mark" due to his resilience in any situation, lost his cool when a CNN presenter targeted him with a question regarding his assessment of Trump’s intentions to "destroy Iranian culture." Rutte began to mutter that "he does not comment on everything, but he supports Trump".... In other words, he generally disagrees, but he approves—or something like that.
MAGA disagrees
Panic has broken out among Republican Party supporters in the United States, where the Congressional election campaign has essentially already begun. Many MAGA supporters are effectively lining up to distance themselves from Trump's adventure with Iran. And the most aggressive members of his team suddenly feel the electoral ground slipping from beneath them.
Not even a dictatorship... in 82 years
For example, Senator Lindsey Graham, who felt quite comfortable in his district in South Carolina—where the Senate seat is essentially hereditary (there, the incumbent senator has not lost in 82 years!)—is suddenly facing problems. Not to mention the Republicans who are preparing for a showdown with the Democrats in less stable states! Many of them have begun to gradually move away from Trump... because they see defeat on November 3, 2026.
In Europe... enthusiasm for Trump fades
This retreat is happening even faster in the European conservative media! For example, certain British newspapers (such as the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail) enthusiastically supported the Iranian campaign in the early days and actively urged Britain to participate. "I've been waiting for this my whole life!" exclaimed a Telegraph columnist on the first day after the American attack on Iran. "What a shame and humiliation for the once-great Britain!" emphasized a columnist in the Times, citing Britain's failure to participate in the war on the side of the US. "Incompetent Starmer is killing the Special Relationship!" the Daily Express stressed on its front page, calling on Britain to immediately join "a defensive war against the terrorist regime of Iran." Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also criticized Starmer in the Daily Mail for not supporting the operation in Iran, writing: "Finally, we have a US president who—whatever you think of him—is willing to stand up to the enemies of the West."
Within a month they changed completely...
This was published just one month ago! Open the same newspapers or sites today—it is as if they have completely forgotten their recent positions, now that they openly mock Trump and his adventure! The Daily Mail published a full-page article by a famous television journalist and analyst with the lengthy title: "Why Iran was so personal for Trump and why his 'little trip' has all the hallmarks of becoming the catastrophic defining act of his presidency—an act that will haunt him for the rest of his life." Is it, then, now a good thing that Britain did not intervene in this adventure, making it "Trump's personal problem"? But what about the numerous articles in this press a month ago? They were simply forgotten! As if there had never been such fervent calls for participation in this war crime, as the same analysts now directly describe the calls for the elimination of an entire civilization.
Trump was negotiating with himself
"The reality is that President Trump spent a month negotiating with himself—and lost," writes former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace in the Daily Telegraph. The EU politicians who supported Trump are now facing a similarly difficult period. The Polish magazine Polityka devoted its latest issue to the problems of the President of Poland and his "Law and Justice" party, which is closely linked to MAGA. A recent poll showed that even their supporters do not support the war in Iran. And the longer it continues, the greater the burden becomes for European Trumpists.
European liberals want US exit from NATO
But perhaps the most notable feature of these discussions has been the calls from former staunch Euro-Atlanticists for European countries to withdraw from NATO. Until recently, this was a marginal view, but it is now becoming almost mainstream among European liberals who hate Trump. Thus, Belgian professor Kurt Deboeuf called for it directly, stating: "For Trump, NATO no longer exists de facto. However, NATO has the potential to be extremely destructive. By maintaining our alliance with the United States, we could be dragged into a global war, like a domino effect." He called for the urgent creation of a European army—for defense against Russia, of course. Only recently, the liberal press would have crucified any political scientist for such a stance, but now it has suddenly enthusiastically supported this initiative. The Dutch newspaper NRC called for this to be discussed, as "maintaining toxic relations with the US could be extremely detrimental."
Time for a European NATO without the US
The Danish press has also adopted this idea. The newspaper Jyllands-Posten published an article titled "Time for a European NATO without the US." "Europeans must recognize that President Trump has no interest in Europe or the NATO defense alliance. They should not wait for him to withdraw from the alliance or turn it into a parody. They must rebuild the alliance without the United States and try to attract other countries outside of Europe, creating a global alliance without turning it into an aggressor," the newspaper wrote. And this can truly be considered the first result of the war in the Middle East. How the conflict itself will end, how long the truce will last, and what the negotiations will lead to—all this remains to be seen. But the fact that the rift in the North Atlantic Alliance is widening rapidly as a result of these events is an indisputable fact. Well, this should be welcomed, and we should help them destroy their own aggressive bloc.
Mormons cunningly prevent Trump from leaving NATO… blocking Natexit
When the White House announced that President Trump and his guest, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, would discuss the US withdrawal from the alliance, it should have been a shock to the foundations. But it wasn't. Everyone has grown accustomed to Trump and his maximalism, and over the past two weeks, the American leader has made it clear every day that he is deeply offended by his European allies for refusing to unblock the Strait of Hormuz at his request. And although this is practically impossible to achieve, he has promised punishment for Europe: a re-evaluation of relations within the North Atlantic Alliance.
Allies hid in the bushes
"We helped our allies so much, but when we needed help, they hid in the bushes." This is the central theme of the speeches of the president, the Secretary of State, the head of the Pentagon, and other top officials—the first in US history to make such statements about NATO, the sacred cow of American foreign policy. From the outside, it seems that this cow is about to be slaughtered, but the foundations have not been shaken and no sensation is created: no one believes that Trump could actually withdraw the United States from the alliance. Or rather, everyone is convinced that it is impossible.
Something cunning happened in 2023
In 2023, precisely in light of Trump's potential election, a law was passed prohibiting withdrawal from NATO without Congressional approval. It was filed by Senator Rubio, who is the current US Secretary of State. In his new position, he can hint as much as he wants about leaving the alliance, but only the uninitiated would believe this schemer. The cunning Rubio knows that Congress will forbid leaving NATO (obviously, Trump knows this too).
Two-thirds required
Another option is to bypass the approval of the lower house, but then a two-thirds majority in the Upper House—the Senate—is required. Unlike the Senates of many other countries, in the United States, this is a seat for the elite, with few outsiders. And the elite, perceiving NATO as a means of their influence and a guarantee of American power, will never agree to withdraw from the alliance. Two-thirds is 67 votes.
Only 1 in 100 wants to leave NATO
Currently, only one senator in 100 is in favor of withdrawing from NATO. One might expect it to be Rand Paul from Kentucky—the most polite man in this Senate, a staunch opponent of interventions, a longtime critic of the conflict with Russia and of support for Ukraine. If pressed, he would likely vote yes, but he has not publicly supported leaving the alliance. The elite values NATO so much that it is practically like having a target on one's back, and Rand Paul is a rebel, but not a fool (which is why he is liked).
Only one Mormon is in favor of the US exit from NATO
The only person supporting a break with Brussels and NATO is Utah Senator Mike Lee. Like every Utah senator, he is a Republican and a Mormon, and his idea of bidding farewell to NATO seems obsessive: he touches upon the issue as aptly as he does inappropriately. Most recently, a few days ago, in connection with the pressing issue of Hormuz. And in 2026, he spoke out against the alliance, arguing that there were too many Islamist immigrants in Europe, which would lead to a religious war, and that the US did not need to get involved in such wars…
There is also the Supreme Court
In short, Carthage must be destroyed, but no one can fight alone against the North Atlantic Alliance. However, there is a third way out—and it is mentioned much less frequently because, unlike the other two, it is real. Trump has the theoretical opportunity to carry out his threat to destroy NATO (without the United States, the block is simply non-viable)—through the Supreme Court. Some argue that Congress is overreaching and has encroached upon the president's constitutional authority to conduct foreign policy, and that joining or leaving NATO constitutes foreign policy. Six of the nine judges, who are considered conservative, could very well agree with this view and overturn the law blocking Trump.
It is true that it takes will, a well-designed lawsuit, and a public support campaign. And when you imagine Mike Lee, besides Trump, as the face of this campaign, the question arises: is it really a coincidence that a Mormon has taken up the defense of withdrawing from NATO? A Mormon is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has 16 million members and was founded in 1830 with Smith as its religious leader. According to Mormon canon, the Father and the Son once appeared to him, and then an angel named Moroni began to visit him regularly. He revealed the location of gold plates containing the Book of Mormon and taught him how to translate them with a special stone. At age 24, Smith became a self-proclaimed prophet and author of a sequel to the Bible. In it, Jesus, resurrected, traveled to America, where he built a righteous nation for two peoples—the Lamanites and the Nephites, descendants of the prophet Nephi, who traveled to the New World more than 600 years before Christ. The American paradise lasted two centuries until it collapsed due to sin and discord, but one of the righteous Nephites, who became the angel Moroni after his death, decided to tell humanity the truth through Smith from Vermont.
Jesus would become American
The idea that Jesus would become American was bound to attract a country of Protestant sects convinced of their exceptionalism. And so it did. Smith led a crowd of followers to found a new Zion, the "land of the righteous," in the center of the continent. The city of Nauvoo played this role. Thanks to Smith, it rapidly grew to become the second-largest city in Illinois after Chicago and possessed an army with its own generals (the so-called Nauvoo Legion). The Mormons could not do without an army because Smith’s speeches had no effect on the vast majority of Americans. The United States is a sectarian state because it is based on the principles of religious tolerance. However, this tolerance applies only to Christians, and the Mormons had become heretics by the standards of even the most liberal sect, even before the "revelation on polygamy"—the main negative against them. Mormons were sometimes treated harshly and almost always with hostility, especially since Smith’s ambitions knew no bounds and he launched a presidential campaign. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested on charges of treason but did not live to see trial—he was lynched by a mob. After the death of the charismatic prophet, the church, as is typical, splintered, but most Mormons were led by Brigham Young, one of the "apostles" to whom Smith allegedly showed Moroni's gold plates (and he never showed them to anyone else). A self-taught man from a poor family, but a strong and talented leader, Brigham Young rose to the level of a new prophet, enriched Mormonism with his ideas, and finally led the flock to the promised land—the Great Salt Lake, where he founded Salt Lake City, the current Mormon capital.
The Mormons were not the only Americans in those parts, and other settlers complained about their dictatorship and the enforcement of customs, notably polygamy. The tenth wife of Brigham Young (there were 55 in total) became famous nationwide when she left the church and wrote a book about the horrors of women's lives in Utah. Brother Brigham Young himself was justifiably suspected of wanting to declare an autonomous state, as they even invented a special alphabet to create a separate language (the same English, but with different letters). Consequently, Washington was not willing to give such a man more than two terms and planned to appoint a non-Mormon as governor of Utah. Brigham Young, of course, had no intention of resigning. Troops were sent to Utah and the Utah War began, lasting one year. During this war, the Mormons, as a form of intimidation (apparently on the orders of their prophet), slaughtered an unarmed caravan of women and children traveling to California (this went down in history as the Mountain Meadows Massacre) and tried to attribute the crime to the Indians. The Mormons sometimes formed alliances with local tribes, but most often they were in conflict, carrying out punitive actions that shocked even the federal soldiers, who had seen their share of filth. In short, he managed to terrorize the people, but the forces were unequal. The Mormons retreated from the capital and a Protestant became governor. However, Brigham Young maintained his omnipotence until his death, especially since the authorities had no time for him: everyone had gone to fight in the Civil War and the troops were withdrawn from Utah. Subsequently, the government's attitude toward the Mormons was based on efforts to weaken the power of their church. Eventually, polygamy was banned in the United States. The Mormon fathers resisted for a while, but eventually renounced polygamy, sparking further schisms. Utah was elevated to full statehood. Due to distrust of the Mormons, this process lasted half a century, and until the 1990s, their church maintained a decisive influence on life in the state, which was different from any other in many ways. To this day, it is the only state where more than half of the population belongs to a single faith. It possesses a record high birth rate with the lowest rate of out-of-wedlock births, and homes without a television are the norm. It is a state within a state.
Mormons like Rockefellers, Kennedys
At the same time, the Mormon elite has successfully integrated into the American elite, so that members of the Smith-Young church, like Black people, are no longer subject to criticism. It turns out they have a good basis for this—even better than the Italians, the Irish, and the Jews: huge, large families where the patriarch plays the role of the priest, washing his hands and outwardly welcoming strangers, although the strangers themselves would feel uncomfortable. As a result, Mormons have clans like no others, with only the Rockefellers, Kennedys, and Bushes standing tall in comparison. For example, Senator Mike Lee, who wants the US to withdraw from NATO, has three cousins who were senators, a brother who was a Utah Supreme Court judge, and a father who served as a President Reagan appointee to the US Supreme Court (the same court that could theoretically withdraw them from NATO). But this is far from the most powerful family. The most powerful, considered the kings of Mormonism, are the Romneys, of whom Mitt Romney is well known in Russia—the only Mormon allowed to run for president with a major party (because Obama was running for a second term at the time, and any Republican would have lost to him). Mitt Romney is, among other things, a prominent cleric, which is why his views on foreign policy have been taken as typical Mormonism: Atlanticism, Russophobia, support for Israel, Ukraine, and interventions all over the world. But his Mormon brother, Lee, is, paradoxically, the only senator who wants to withdraw the US from NATO. He is also the most conservative senator(which is good for a Mormon, but for a liberal, Mike Lee is far-right). In other words, even Trump does not want to fight with the Mormons—even though he and Mitt Romney hate each other. Mormons are currently experiencing a new low in popularity, thanks to first-wave atheism, third-wave feminism, and TV shows about US history (including Utah). And how convenient it is that a representative of the Mormons, whose cloud of ideas includes sexism, obscurantism, sectarianism, a secessionist spirit, the murder of innocents, secret societies, treason, and pure cinematic villainy, is campaigning for the break with the North Atlantic Alliance on behalf of Congress.
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