Trump threatens deeper cuts for US troop presence in Germany

Hadriana Lowenkron, Bloomberg News on May 2, 2026

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he plans to cut the U.S. military presence in Germany by more than the 5,000-troop drawdown announced so far, even as Republican allies and NATO countries questioned the move.

“We’re going to cut way down,” Trump told reporters Saturday as he boarded Air Force One in Florida, without offering additional details about his plans or rationale. “And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.”

Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with European nations, accusing them of ignoring his requests for help in the U.S. war with Iran and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

But the latest announcement that 5,000 troops will be pulled from a key NATO ally set off widespread worries. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Saturday the trans-Atlantic NATO alliance risks disintegrating and called on all members to reverse “this disastrous trend.”

Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, and House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, a Republican from Alabama, expressed concern about pulling out thousands of troops in a joint statement on Saturday — a notable rebuke from the president’s own party.

“Rather than withdrawing forces from the continent altogether, it is in the U.S. interest to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe by moving these 5,000 U.S. forces to the east,” the pair added, saying they hoped for more details from the Pentagon in the coming days and weeks.

Trump has been threatening for months to reduce the U.S. military presence in Europe. He also announced on Friday that he’s increasing tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union to 25%, which will have a disproportionate effect on German automakers.

Trump’s previous attempt to remove forces from Germany in 2020 was blocked by legislation. The latest order is likely to face similar opposition in Congress.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the 5,000-troop withdrawal.

“This decision follows a thorough review of the department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground,” Parnell said. “We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to 12 months.” He offered no additional details or explanation.

Earlier in the week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had questioned Trump’s handling of the Iran war in unusually blunt terms, saying the administration was being “humiliated.”

Trump has clashed with Merz over the wars in Iran and Ukraine and the future of NATO. At the same time, Merz has led a huge increase in German defense spending, drawing praise from U.S. officials.

Roughly 35,000 troops — almost half the total of U.S. forces in Europe — are stationed in Germany, where the American command for the region is headquartered. The U.S. has relied heavily on its extensive network of bases and other facilities in Germany, a legacy of the Cold War, to prepare and launch operations against Iran.

Germany provides rent-free land for the bases and staff to support the American forces.

(Courtney McBride and Tony Capaccio contributed to this report.)