Ramaswamy privately said he would withdraw U.S. from NATO: Report

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has privately told people he would withdraw the U.S. from NATO if elected president, Politico reported Friday, citing "three people familiar with his comments."

He reportedly indicated such plans on multiple occasions. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a mutual defense pact that obliges constituent nations to act in defense of one another and includes much of Europe, as well as the U.S. and Canada.

While Ramaswamy has been critical of the organization and its expansion in public, he has not openly stated he would withdraw from the alliance. Campaign Communications Director Tricia McLaughlin told Just the News that "Vivek has been clear that he is skeptical of continuing U.S. funding of the UN, WHO [World Health Organization], and any other multilateral institutions that impede on U.S. sovereignty or which do not advance our interests."

"With respect to NATO, Vivek has serious concerns that most NATO allies fail to meet their military investment commitments and will reevaluate our own support as necessary," she continued. "He also believes that post cold War NATO expansionism has unnecessarily increased the risk of major conflict with Russia."

Throughout the campaign, Ramaswamy advocated for a reserved approach to U.S. military activity on the world stage, contrasting himself with some of his conventional Republican rivals, most notably former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, with whom he has sparred on foreign policy in multiple debates.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.