President Trump has not been shy in broadcasting his displeasure with the permanent U.S. alliance structure, which he views as costly obligations to defend other nations. Skepticism of supposed U.S. defense commitments with other nations remains one of the most consistent themes in Trump’s worldview.

Unsurprisingly, Trump’s oftentimes negative assessment of Washington’s overseas commitments, which parallels the worldview of a majority of Americans, makes Beltway types nervous.