Donald Trump has indeed made critical remarks about NATO in the past, including during his political career, often questioning burden-sharing between the United States and European members. However, claims that he definitively stated plans to leave NATO or called it a “paper tiger” in an official or confirmed interview would need strong verification from the original source transcript, since such statements are frequently misquoted or framed differently across reports.
The idea of a “European NATO” or European-led defense structure has also been discussed in policy circles for years, especially in publications like the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal, but this is generally framed as increased European defense autonomy within NATO, not a confirmed plan to replace the United States. NATO currently includes 32 member countries, and the U.S. remains a central military and financial contributor.
Finally, NATO leadership under Mark Rutte regularly meets with U.S. leadership, and discussions about defense spending and burden-sharing are routine. However, claims of secret finalized plans or imminent restructuring of NATO without the U.S. are not confirmed policy developments—they are speculative reporting or interpretation of ongoing strategic debates.