On Wednesday, President Donald Trump expressed strong criticism towards NATO for its lack of involvement in the conflict in Iran. This came despite NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte commending Trump for negotiating a two-week ceasefire in the region.

Trump had previously urged NATO member countries to deploy warships to help reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for around 20% of the world’s oil supply. However, none of the allied nations responded by sending their naval forces.

Taking to his Truth Social media platform, the president stated, “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN.” This followed a statement from White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who conveyed Trump’s sentiment that NATO had been “tested and failed.”

In an apparent indirect reference to Greenland, a territory Trump has shown interest in acquiring, he added, “REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE.”

‘REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE.’

The president’s post came after a scheduled meeting with Rutte, in which he was expected to bring up the possibility of the US leaving the defence bloc.  

Yet Rutte, who infamously called Trump ‘daddy’ at a summit last year, took on a conciliatory tone as he praised the president for the ceasefire agreement in Iran.

The NATO Secretary General appeared on CNN Wednesday to discuss the temporary truce and admitted that Trump was ‘clearly disappointed’ that the US’s allies refused to send help, adding: ‘He clearly told me what he thought of what happened over the last couple of weeks.’

Trump declared on his Truth Social page that ‘NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM’ as he made a thinly-veiled threat about Greenland, a territory he has repeatedly sought to take over

When anchor Jake Tapper asked if Rutte believed the world is safer today than before the war started at the end of February, the NATO leader said: ‘Absolutely… this is thanks to President Trump’s leadership.’

But Rutte declined to comment on whether Trump had expressed any desire to leave NATO, telling CNN: ‘It is a nuanced picture.’

He then went on to explain that degrading Iran’s nuclear capabilities is ‘really important for yours and my safety here in the US, in Europe and in the Middle East.’

Trump has long been contemptuous of NATO, last week warning that he was strongly considering pulling the US out of the ‘paper tiger’ bloc. 

He said: ‘I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.’

And yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US was planning on punishing certain NATO members for refusing to support its war against Iran. 

The newspaper reported that the Trump administration was considering repositioning some of the 84,000 American troops stationed in Europe, and may even close a US base in at least one EU nation, possibly Spain or Germany.  

A spokesperson for NATO has since told the Daily Mail that Rutte and Trump ‘had a frank discussion on a range of issues related to our shared security, including in the context of Iran.

‘The Secretary General underscored the importance of Allies continuing to step up to deliver a stronger, fairer Alliance.’

Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday she thought it was ‘quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks, when it’s the American people who have been funding their defence.’ 

‘Withdrawing from NATO… is something that the president will be discussing in a couple of hours with [Rutte] and perhaps you’ll hear directly from the president following that meeting,’ she said earlier in the day. 

Leavitt then went on to dispel claims from Iran that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed over Israeli attacks on the regime’s proxy terror groups in Lebanon.

‘We have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today,’ Leavitt said, noting that there was a difference between what Iran said publicly versus privately.

Two tankers were allowed through the strait this morning as the two-week ceasefire commenced, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported, though it later said passage had been suspended ‘simultaneous with Israel’s attacks on Lebanon.’ 

Leavitt noted that ‘Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire.’

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had earlier said Trump would discuss leaving the treaty organization with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The two are pictured in October

He met with Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Wednesday before meeting with Trump

At the same time, Iran threatened to destroy oil tankers if they try to travel through the Strait without permission, as the regime has imposed a toll of up to $2 million per vessel.

Saudi Arabia’s East-West oil pipeline, a critical artery routing crude from the Gulf to the Red Sea, came under drone attack at 1pm local time, the FT reported. 

Kuwait’s air defences intercepted 28 drones in sustained attacks targeting oil facilities, power plants and water desalination infrastructure from 8am Wednesday, the country’s army said, adding that strikes were still ongoing. 

There were also reports of explosions rocking Tehran, which Leavitt declined to comment on, pending information from Trump’s national security team.

American and Iranian authorities are now set to meet in Islamabad on Saturday to iron out a more permanent end to the war.

As part of the deal, Iran publicly released what it claimed was a ten-point peace plan, demanding the US accept Tehran’s continued control over the Strait, recognise its right to uranium enrichment, lift all sanctions, pay compensation and withdraw all troops from the region.

Trump is now facing a furious backlash from his most fervent supporters over the ceasefire and ten-point peace plan, amid fears it concedes too much to Tehran, with even the White House forced to clarify his claims about the terms of the deal. 

The president has previously described Iran’s plan as ‘a workable basis on which to negotiate,’ only for a White House official to say the points in the released plan did not match what Trump had in mind.

The president then seemed to contradict his own team, saying most points had ‘been fully negotiated’ while leaving the door open to resuming strikes if the deal fell apart. 

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham demanded JD Vance appear before Congress to explain the terms of the agreement after the dovish Vice President spearheaded 11th-hour peace talks mediated by Pakistan. 

‘The supposed negotiating document, in my view, has some troubling aspects, but time will tell,’ Graham posted on X. 

‘I look forward to the architects of this proposal, the Vice President and others, coming forward to Congress and explaining how a negotiated deal meets our national security objectives in Iran.’

Democratic-led states are introducing new tax measures targeting the wealthy, amid an exodus of income and residents to Republican-led states.

California, New York, Washington, and Michigan are at the forefront of these initiatives, focusing on the wealthiest earners. Washington is considering a tax on incomes exceeding $1 million, while California is proposing a levy on billionaire net worth. Other states are contemplating similar strategies, including taxes on departing residents and expanding income tax parameters.

According to IRS migration data from 2022-2023, California experienced a significant loss of nearly $12 billion in taxable income within a year, while New York saw a decrease of $9.9 billion. Conversely, Florida and Texas emerged as beneficiaries, attracting $20.5 billion and $5.5 billion in income, respectively, from relocating taxpayers.

During the same period, California witnessed the departure of approximately 230,000 residents. In contrast, states with lower tax rates experienced both population and income growth.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has recognized this trend, as previously highlighted by RedState.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) acknowledged the shift, as RedState previously reported:

“Maybe the first step should be go down to Palm Beach and see who you can bring back home because our tax base has been eroded.”

These proposals assume high earners will stay and absorb higher rates. The migration data shows otherwise.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned about New York’s tax structure:

“New York City has much going for it… but it also has the highest city and state corporate taxes and the highest individual income taxes.” 

Business leaders have been warning about this shift for years, pointing to rising costs, regulatory pressure, and tax burdens that make long-term investment harder to justify in high-tax states compared to lower-cost alternatives, especially as relocation becomes easier for both individuals and corporations.

The same pattern shows up in recent moves by the ultra-wealthy. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz is relocating to Florida after decades in Seattle, a move he described as personal that came as Washington pushed higher taxes on top earners. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos made a similar move to Florida during earlier tax fights in Washington. Companies are expanding in Texas and Tennessee while pulling back in higher-tax states.

High earners can move. Companies can move. Capital moves even faster. When tax burdens rise, those moves follow.

Battle in Seattle: Amazon vs. The Socialists

Blue states continue to pursue higher rates even as the taxpayers generating that revenue relocate. Florida and Texas do not impose income taxes, and their population and income gains reflect that. That contrast is visible in where people move, where companies expand, and where income lands.

Those taxpayers contribute more than income tax revenue. They invest, build companies, hire workers, and drive the economic activity that state budgets depend on. When they leave, the loss does not stay at the top. It spreads across the tax base.

That creates another problem. Budgets built around a shrinking group become harder to sustain, yet the response has often been to raise rates further or expand who gets taxed as the base narrows.

Higher rates aren’t capturing that revenue. They’re driving it out.

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