The Daily – "Trump’s Lonely War"

Date: April 6, 2026
Host: Natalie Kitroeff (with reporting by Mark Landler)
Main Theme:
This episode examines the escalating war between the U.S. (under President Trump) and Iran, focusing on the unprecedented absence of European ally support. It explores why European countries are refusing involvement, the resulting transatlantic tensions, and how they are inevitably being drawn into the conflict anyway.

Episode Overview

• The U.S. has entered a prolonged war with Iran without any European backing, a major break in transatlantic relations.
• President Trump’s angry response includes threats to withdraw from NATO and cut off trade with non-cooperating European countries.
• Despite their reluctance, European nations find themselves entangled in the crisis due to security, economic, and geopolitical fallout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Tensions Reached This Point

• Lack of Consultation: The U.S. did not inform or consult European allies about launching strikes against Iran, compounding mistrust built through years of tariffs and unpredictable diplomacy.
  • “President Trump came in threatening to take over Greenland. Then he imposed tariffs on Europe. So even before Iran, you had a sense on the European side that the United States was no longer an ally...” – Mark Landler [02:52]
• European Response: Allies called for restraint rather than supporting U.S. military action.
  • “France was neither informed nor involved, just like all the other countries in the region. And our allies? Well, they respond very cautiously.” – Landler [04:13]

2. Trump’s Frustration with Europe

• Black-and-White View: Trump sees any refusal to participate in offensive operations as total non-support.
  • “If you're not helping him on the offensive side, you're not helping him full stop.” – Landler [06:20]
• Retaliatory Threats: He threatens to cut off trade, lambastes European leaders, and publicly mocks President Macron.
  • “We're going to cut off all trade with Spain.” – Trump (quoted by Landler) [06:39]
  • “Trump says that Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain is, quote, not Winston Churchill...” – Landler [07:00]
  • Notable moment: Trump mocks Macron's accent and marriage, leading to Macron’s pointed, dignified rebuke.
    • Macron: “The remarks I heard that you're referring to are neither elegant nor appropriate... We have to be serious. We don't say the opposite of what we said the day before every day. And maybe we shouldn't talk every day.” [09:44, 10:13]

3. Europe’s Reluctant Involvement

• Already Drawn In: Despite caution, European military bases have been attacked, and their aircraft are defending Gulf states.
  • “Some European countries, Britain and France notably, have military bases in the region... European planes are in the air over places like the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, helping defend those countries from Iranian attacks.” – Landler [07:25]
• The Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Iran’s blockade threatens Europe’s energy security, further dragging them into economic and political turmoil.

4. Europe’s Calculus: Why Not Help the U.S.?

• Legal Justification: Europeans argue they have no obligation under NATO because the U.S. was not attacked.
  • “The US wasn't attacked in this case. This is not a case that invokes Article 5.” – Landler [11:34]
• Skepticism Over U.S. Aims: They doubt Trump’s strategy can cripple Iran’s nuclear capabilities, recalling failures in Afghanistan and Iraq.
  • “There's a deep skepticism that military strikes are going to solve the problems that the President says they're going to solve...” – Landler [12:20]
  • Europe’s Iraq trauma and costly Afghanistan participation inform their reluctance.
    • “As these political leaders look at Iran, they are looking at it very much through the lens of Iraq and all the bad memories they have of that war.” – Landler [16:50]

5. Economic Fallout and Political Ramifications

• Energy Shock: Skyrocketing fuel costs and instability cause upheaval across European societies.
  • “In Germany, a gallon of diesel fuel is now over $9. Natural gas prices have skyrocketed. In Britain, you're seeing all kinds of potential political upheaval.” – Landler [19:46]
• Political Tightropes: Leaders are pressured by both Trump and their own anti-war publics.
  • Italy’s Meloni is squeezed by unpopularity of Trump alignment.
  • Britain’s Starmer, by occasionally standing up to Trump, gains domestic political capital.

6. Europe’s Limited Leverage and Options

• Reduced Fear of Tariffs: A Supreme Court ruling against Trump’s tariffs slightly emboldens European leaders.
  • “The Supreme Court has done a bit of their work for them... It has left the situation much more murky, but also raised the prospect that Europe is not gonna face that particular form of leverage.” – Landler [21:39]
• Diplomatic Moves: British royal visit to the U.S. aims to smooth tensions.
  • “King Charles is going to the United States on a state visit... Trump loves the royals...” – Kitroeff & Landler [27:02-27:03]
• Planning for Postwar Security: Europeans draft contingency plans for securing the Strait of Hormuz without U.S. help, but recognize their limits.
  • “If the United States doesn't put its military might and its credibility behind an effort to keep the strait open, it's really highly unlikely that the Europeans are going to be able to do it on their own.” – Landler [28:45]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Devolving Transatlantic Relations:
  “We're in fairly uncharted territory with a president waging war with no support and indeed, growing opposition to it among virtually all his European allies.” — Mark Landler [02:22]

• On the Limits of NATO Solidarity:
  “NATO members are not obligated to blindly follow the military adventures of other members, particularly if they think they're unwise or poorly thought out...” — Landler [25:00]

• On Inescapable Interdependence:
  “Europe and the United States are really almost like a married couple that's hit a very rough patch... the price of splitting is perhaps even higher than the pain of figuring out how to stay together...” — Landler [29:31]

• Trump’s Social Media Ultimatum, Escalating Rhetoric:
  “Open the fucking strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell. Hell. Just watch.” — Trump (quoted) [30:24]

Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:39 – 02:52: Introduction, overview of the war, and breakdown in U.S.–Europe relations.
• 02:52 – 04:13: How years of tension set up the present crisis.
• 04:13 – 06:10: European responses and limits to their involvement.
• 07:25 – 09:44: How Europe is gradually pulled into the conflict against their will.
• 09:44 – 12:11: Trump’s case for European involvement, European skepticism, and NATO obligations.
• 13:31 – 16:50: Why Europe is cautious: practical, legal, and historical reasons.
• 19:02 – 20:39: The war's ripple effects on Europe’s economy and politics.
• 21:16 – 22:18: How recent rulings embolden Europe.
• 22:18 – 26:45: Navigating pressure at home and with the U.S.
• 26:45 – 29:31: Europe’s diplomatic and contingency strategies.
• 29:31 – 30:16: The enduring but strained U.S.–Europe alliance.

Conclusion

The episode offers an insightful look at how the Iran conflict, initiated without European consultation or support, has strained the U.S.–Europe alliance to near-breaking point. European leaders are navigating an impossible balance: refusing direct military engagement while suffering significant economic and security consequences, all the while wary of antagonizing Trump further. Despite talk of rupture, the deep-rooted interdependence between the U.S. and Europe ensures that—however battered—the alliance is likely to endure, at least for now.