Elon Musk has sparked criticism from Republicans after agreeing with calls for the United States to withdraw from Nato and the United Nations.
The billionaire, who serves as a senior White House adviser in Donald Trump's administration, made the statement on his social media platform X.
Musk's brief comment came in response to a post by conservative commentator Gunther Eagleman, who wrote: "It's time to leave Nato and the UN."
The tech mogul simply replied: "I agree."
Musk has seemingly spoken out against Nato
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Eagleman, who has 1.3 million followers on X, regularly publishes views on US politics and is a supporter of President Donald Trump. Republican Senator Mike Lee has also suggested the USA should consider withdrawing from Nato.
On his X page, Lee described the alliance as a "Cold War relic" which is "a great deal for Europe" but "not beneficial for America".
Lee recently introduced the DEFUND bill in the Senate, proposing immediate US withdrawal from UN structures. The United States is one of the founding members of the UN and serves as one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Liz Cheney, who had previously supported Kamala Harris, issued a scathing response on X, defending Nato as "the most successful military alliance in history".
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Liz Cheney spoke out against Musk
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"Destroying America's alliances and abandoning the cause of freedom is morally and strategically indefensible," she wrote.
Cheney directly criticised Musk alongside Trump and his running mate JD Vance.
"Only fools or Kremlin tools would abandon Nato, side with Russia, and demand Ukraine surrender in the face of Putin's brutal aggression," she stated.
The campaign group Republicans Against Trump questioned Musk's motives for supporting withdrawal from Nato. "Naturally, Elon Musk wants to see the US leave Nato. Has he ever taken a position that isn't aligned with Russia or China?" the group said.
Elon Musk has made several cuts since being appointed head of Doge in the USREUTERSThe comments come as the Trump administration recently sided with Russia on two votes at the UN, a move the Kremlin praised on Sunday. Nato consists of 32 member countries, including 30 from Europe plus the USA and Canada.
Critics, including Trump, have expressed dismay at the unequal burden-sharing among members.
Musk currently serves as the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which Trump has tasked with finding hundreds of billions in federal spending cuts by mid-2026.
Doge has instituted staff purges across federal bureaucracy and been involved in realigning US foreign policy.
This includes assisting efforts to shut down the US Agency for International Development, which Musk called a "criminal organisation".
