GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy suggested that the United States pulling out of NATO and reevaluating its United Nations membership could be reasonable.
What Happened: Ramaswamy, currently ranking fourth in the Republican primaries, voiced these views in an interview with Politico on Monday. Ramaswamy’s comments were in response to a Rolling Stone article that discussed former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner in the 2024 presidential election, expressing willingness to withdraw the U.S. from the transatlantic military alliance.
“It's a reasonable idea that I have considered,” Ramaswamy said.
He added that he is open to “reevaluating U.S. involvement in the UN,” though he did not elaborate on either point.
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Why It Matters: Exiting NATO would mean losing a commitment from 30 other allies to defend the U.S. if attacked, a clause invoked only once following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Leaving the U.N. could result in the loss of America's veto power on the Security Council, potentially enhancing the influence of China and Russia, two of the five nations with that privilege.
Despite these radical views, Ramaswamy is not advocating for a complete U.S. withdrawal from global affairs. He has supported military strikes on Mexican drug cartels and warned countries like China against interfering in the Western Hemisphere.
As per RealClearPolitics poll averages, Trump maintained his lead in national polls with 59 points, while Ron DeSantis trailed with 12.7%, Nikki Haley with 7.8% and Ramaswamy with 5.1%.
Photo by Consolidated News Photos on Shutterstock
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