President Donald Trump was in damage control mode Thursday morning, declaring a tense NATO summit a success even while saying he could withdraw the United States from the alliance without the consent of Congress.

The U.S. commander in chief spent Wednesday and Thursday morning lambasting other NATO members — especially Germany — and turned the annual alliance meeting into a spectacle of ill will amid whispers, including from some GOP lawmakers, that he was working to undermine it. But by midday Thursday in Brussels, Belgium, he was taking credit for allegedly securing pledges from the other leaders to pay more into NATO’s coffers.

Asked during an impromptu news conference if he believes he could simply remove the U.S. from the alliance without Congress approving such a move, he replied: “I think I probably can, but that’s not necessary.”

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Trump said he expects the United States will stay in the alliance because “people have stepped up,” meaning other NATO members have agreed to up their annual contributions to the military organization’s budget.