44% Say U.S. Should Still Defend NATO Countries Not Helping in Hormuz

Publication Date: 03/20/2026 2:28 PM CST

44% Say U.S. Should Still Defend NATO Countries Not Helping in Hormuz

Publication: 03/20/2026 2:28 PM CST

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As Iran blocks access to the Strait of Hormuz (a critical route for shipping worldwide, including for oil), President Trump has asked NATO allies to help reopen it, but they have refused. A plurality of registered voters (44%) say countries that refuse to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz should still be considered U.S. allies.
- Another 38% say countries who refuse to help should not be considered allies.
- About 1 in 5 (18%) are Not Sure.
- By a 55% to 31% margin, Republicans say we should no longer consider them allies.
- Conversely, by a 59% to 25% margin, Democrats say we should still consider countries allies even though they are refusing to help.
- Similar to the Democrats, 59% of postgraduates say the countries that don't help should still be considered our allies.
More than half (54%) of voters believe NATO countries want us to protect them, but are not willing to help even though all countries (including NATO countries) feel the effects of the closure because of the strait's importance to shipping worldwide.
- One third (33%) disagree that NATO countries want us to protect them but aren't willing to help.
A plurality (44%) say that the U.S. should remain committed to defending NATO countries even if they refuse to help with such operations.
- Forty percent (40%) disagree.
- Sixty-four percent (64%) of Democrats say we should commit to defending NATO countries if they don't help, but only 25% of Republicans agree.

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, March 18-19, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.