On Wednesday, former President Donald Trump criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for its lack of involvement in the conflict in Iran. This came despite NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s commendation of Trump for securing a two-week ceasefire.

Trump had urged NATO allies to deploy warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime passage for about 20% of the world’s oil supply. However, no NATO member countries responded by dispatching their naval forces.

“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” Trump declared on his Truth Social platform, echoing a sentiment expressed earlier by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who stated that NATO had been “tested and failed.”

Additionally, Trump appeared to make an indirect reference to Greenland, a territory he has shown interest in acquiring, by posting, “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 treaty organization.  

Yet Rutte 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 between the US, Iran and Israel when anchor Jake Tapper asked if he believed the world is safer today than before the war started at the end of February.

‘Absolutely,’ Rutte replied. ‘This is thanks to President Trump’s leadership.’

President Donald Trump hit out at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Wednesday after member nations refused to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz during the war in Iran

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

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

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.’

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.”

But 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 defense.’ 

‘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.’

Rutte heaped praise on President Donald Trump for agreeing to a ceasefire in Iran

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 defenses 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, recognize its right to uranium enrichment, lift all sanctions, pay compensation and withdraw all troops from the region.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, appearing at a briefing earlier on Wednesday, relayed that the President had said that NATO ‘were tested and they failed’

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.’

In a surprising turn of events, a Maine school district has reversed its stance following a legal challenge that prompted debate over the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms. This development comes after a lawsuit was initiated by a father-and-son pair, alleging the district’s failure to provide high school students with the opportunity to engage in the daily pledge ritual.

According to a report by the Portland Press Herald, Christopher Hickey filed the lawsuit on behalf of his son, Clayton, a 10th-grade student. The suit contended that the Falmouth School Department in southern Maine was neglecting a long-standing policy and state mandate by not facilitating the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance at the high school level, a practice that had been observed regularly in the district’s elementary and middle schools.

The lawsuit highlighted a two-year gap in the high school’s observance of this tradition, contrasting with the consistent practice in other schools within the district. This discrepancy raised questions about the adherence to district and state requirements.

In response, the school district’s leadership emphasized their openness to addressing parental concerns regarding district policies. They assured families that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance remains an option available to students at Falmouth High School, encouraging open communication on such matters.

The district’s policy mandates the presence of an American flag in every classroom, reinforcing the symbolic significance of the pledge. This requirement underlines the district’s commitment to providing students with the opportunity to participate in this patriotic practice if they choose to do so.

“At Falmouth High School, students are welcome to say the Pledge of Allegiance if they choose,” Falmouth Schools Superintendent Steve Nolan said in a statement Wednesday. “Now that this matter has been brought to our attention, we have taken steps to provide an opportunity during the school day for students who wish to say the Pledge of Allegiance to do so during a designated time.”

Statute §4010 states: “A school administrative unit shall allow every student enrolled in the school administrative unit the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at some point during a school day in which students are required to attend. A school administrative unit may not require a student to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.”

The school’s policy says that an American flag will be flown on school grounds on school days in addition to having it visible in every classroom.

“Furthermore, an opportunity must be provided, during the school days for which students are required to attend, for students and staff to recite the Pledge of Allegiance,” the policy added.

The lawsuit alleges that the pledge was a regular occurrence in both the district’s elementary and middle schools, but not for students at the high school for the last two years. (Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

Hickey’s attorney, Jack Baldacci, wrote in a statement to the Press Herald that despite Nolan’s wish to handle the matter without legal action, they do not think the change would have been made without filing the suit.

“The district had ample time to correct this longstanding omission on its own and failed to do so,” Baldacci wrote. “We are glad the district is now complying, and we hope this marks the beginning of a renewed commitment to the robust civic education every student deserves.”

A teacher holds an American flag in a classroom. (iStock via Getty Images)

According to a 2024 survey conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 70% of registered voters did not pass a general civics test, including questions which asked how many Supreme Court justices there are.

Baldacci did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The lawsuit is ongoing.

The U.S. Department of Education did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

A former Delta Force member from the U.S. Army has been detained following allegations of leaking confidential information to a journalist, according to prosecutors who have unveiled her private communications.

Forty-year-old Courtney Williams was taken into custody on Wednesday, accused of sharing sensitive national defense details with unauthorized parties, including a reporter.

Although the journalist remains unnamed in court documents, Williams is frequently referenced in Seth Harp’s book, ‘The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces,’ and featured in a Politico piece by Harp, both released last year.

The Politico article, ‘My Life Became a Living Hell: One Woman’s Career in Delta Force, the Army’s Most Elite Unit,’ explores her role as a ‘signature reduction specialist.’

According to legal documents, from 2022 to 2025, Williams communicated with Harp through calls and texts about her experiences with the elite team. These discussions occurred despite her having signed a Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement at both the commencement and termination of her employment.

In the affidavit, Special Agent Jocelyn Fox cited a text between the two she said occurred on or about the day the book and article were published.

‘Other than a few factual errors, I would definitely have been concerned with the amount of classified information being disclosed,’ Williams’ text read. 

‘I thought things I was telling you so you could have a better general understanding of how the (SMU) was set up or operated would not be published and it feels like an entire TTP (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures) was sent out in my name giving them a chance to legally persecute me.’

A former member of the United States Army’s elite Delta Force squad has been arrested and charged with leaking classified secrets to a reporter

Courtney Williams, 40, was arrested Wednesday in connection with her alleged transmission of classified national defense information to individuals not authorized to receive it, including a journalist

Fox also cited an alleged exchange between Williams and her mother. 

‘I might actually get arrested, and I don’t even get a free copy of the book,’ the affidavit read. ‘When her mother asked why she may be arrested, Williams responded ‘for disclosing classified information.’

Harp called Williams’ arrest ‘a vindictive act of retaliation, plain and simple.’

‘Courtney Williams is a brave whistleblower and truth-teller,’ the reporter told WRAL.

‘Former Delta Force operators disclose ”national defense information” on podcasts and YouTube shows every day, but the government is going after Courtney for the sole reason that she exposed sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the unit.’ 

Williams, who is specifically charged with violating a provision of the Espionage Act, made an initial appearance Wednesday in Raleigh federal court, where a magistrate judge unsealed the case against her, initially filed late last week, according to online court records. 

She was ordered held by the US Marshals Service pending hearings set for early next week. 

When Williams was fired, she filed an EEOC complaint and eventually settled for an amount she claimed was ‘sufficient to buy a small house in North Carolina.’

Williams is cited heavily in Seth Harp’s book ‘The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces’ and was featured in a Politico profile by Harp, both published last year

Harp wrote that Williams’ job meant she managed ‘valid but fictious passports’ and other identification for special forces operators on overseas missions. 

His story also details accusations of what Harp described as gender discrimination and sexual harassment. 

One incident mentioned Williams being forced to bend over for a supervisor ‘to assess whether her underwear could be seen through the fabric.’

The Department of Justice alleged that Williams both disclosed classified information to Harp and ‘made unauthorized disclosures of national defense information via her social media accounts.’

Harp named Williams as a source in his book and attributed specific information to his interviews with her over the course of 10 hours of telephone calls and over 180 text messages. 

Williams, the DOJ alleged, saved ten files to her computer titled ‘Batch for Reporter’ that included personnel files from her time with Delta Force.  

The complaint also cites one message from Harp where he talks to her about their exchange of information.  

‘Just wanted to let you know I dropped this in the mail today for the thumb drive. It’s stamped and addressed and ready to be sent back, no need to go to the post office!’

Williams worked at the US Army’s Fort Bragg in North Carolina from 2010 to 2016 

The complaint notes that the files ‘contained information that is properly classified as SECRET.’

‘The classified information comprised, in part, specific Tactics, Techniques & Procedures (TTPs) utilized by this (SMU) to execute sensitive missions.’

On the day both the profile and the book were released, Williams admitted to Harp in a text message she was ‘concerned about the amount of classified information being disclosed.’ 

She sent someone else a message writing: ‘I might actually get arrested . . . for disclosing classified information.’ 

In another message, she admitted she was ‘probably going to jail for life.’ 

When she was asked if she knew there could be legal consequences, she responded: ‘I have known my entire career, they tell you everyday . . . 100 times a day.’ 

However, the day the story was published, she celebrated it in a LinkedIn post writing that ‘I stood in rooms with thousands of men who watched me be sexually harassed, assaulted, and discriminated against. And they did nothing. All that power inherently gifted to them, and they did nothing.’

‘Anyone divulging information they vowed to protect to a reporter for publication is reckless, self-serving and damages our nation’s security,’ Reid Davis, the FBI special agent in charge in North Carolina, said in a Justice Department news release.

Williams ‘swore an oath to safeguard our nation’s secrets as an employee supporting a Special Military Unit of the Army, but she allegedly betrayed that oath by sharing classified information with a media outlet and putting our nation, our warfighters, and our allies at risk,’ Roman Rozhavsky, an assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, said in the statement.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced Williams’ arrest on social media. 

‘Let this serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we’re working these cases, and we’re making arrests. This FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and put Americans in harm’s way.’ 

Court records didn’t immediately name Williams’ lawyer.