President Trump’s nominee for ambassador to NATO expressed a commitment to the alliance during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, despite Trump allies — including Elon Musk — calling for a U.S. withdrawal.

Matthew Whitaker, who served as acting attorney general during Trump’s first term, said if he is confirmed as ambassador to NATO, he would push allies to increase their defense spending and convene the alliance to address a multitude of threats.

“President Trump has been clear, the United States remains committed to NATO and to the principle of peace through strength,” Whitaker said in opening remarks.

His statements come as Musk, to whom Trump gave wide authority to cut federal spending and push out federal workers, has called for the U.S. to leave NATO. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), another Trump ally, introduced legislation last year to force the U.S. withdrawal from NATO. On Sunday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, posted on the social media site X, “Get us out of NATO."

Trump has long denigrated NATO, and officials who served in his first term said he wanted to withdraw the U.S. from the alliance. That threat prompted Secretary of State Marco Rubio, then a Republican senator from Florida, to pass legislation........

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