Trump criticises NATO allies claiming 'we have to rely on ourselves' at Turning Point event

Trump criticises NATO allies claiming 'we have to rely on ourselves' at Turning Point eventFollowing the launch of military action in Iran on February 28, US President Donald Trump has has called US partners "cowards" and condemned NATO as "a paper tiger"NewsTannur Anders UK & World News Reporter00:24, 18 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesUS President Donald Trump speaks during a Turning Point USA event on April 17(Image: Win McNamee/Getty Images)US President Donald Trump has again lashed out at NATO allies for what he views as a lack of support.‌Speaking at a Turning Point event in Arizona on Friday, April 17, Trump said during his keynote speech that his country has to rely on itself.‌Trump said: "If NATO teaches us any one thing, and I hope you all watched because they weren't there for us, if it teaches us any one thing: we have to rely on ourselves."‌"We can't rely on outside countries and outside sources."View 3 ImagesTrump spoke during a Turning Point USA's “Build the Red Wall” event(Image: Win McNamee/Getty Images)Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for not assisting the US war in Iran in the manner he would have deemed fit. The Mirror previously reported that the Trump administration was considering a plan to punish some members of the NATO alliance that it believes were unhelpful to the US and Israel during the Iran war.‌The US and Israel carried out joint strikes on several key Iranian sites since February 28 and Iran responded by attacking several sites across the Middle East, plunging the region into chaos, disrupting air travel and rocking global markets.Following the launch of military action in Iran, the president has lambasted US partners as "cowards" and condemned NATO as "a paper tiger".He amplified his hostile language toward NATO following resistance from multiple alliance nations to his demands for reopening the critical Strait of Hormuz trade route, through whi...