Trump Orders 5,000 US Troops Out of Germany — Threatens Far Deeper Cuts Ahead

The Pentagon confirmed on May 2 that it will withdraw approximately 5,000 US troops from Germany over the next six to twelve months, fulfilling a threat President Trump issued after a very public clash with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over US handling of the Iran conflict.

The dispute began when Merz told students that Iran was 'humiliating' the United States by choking off the Strait of Hormuz and accused Washington of entering the war without a clear strategy. Trump responded sharply on Truth Social, calling Merz uninformed and accusing him of thinking 'it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.' The drawdown was announced days later.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement: '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. We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.'

The redeployment will affect a brigade combat team currently in Germany, as well as a long-range fires battalion that the prior administration had planned to deploy to the country later this year. About 38,000 US troops currently remain in Germany, which hosts Ramstein Air Base and the headquarters of US European Command and US Africa Command.

Trump signaled on Saturday that the withdrawal would go 'a lot further' than the initial 5,000. He also threatened similar reductions in Italy and Spain. Spain had denied US forces access to its bases and airspace for strikes related to the Iran conflict. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — previously a close Trump ally — also came under fire. NATO said it was working to understand the details of the plan.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called the drawdown 'foreseeable' and suggested the move underscores the need for Europe to strengthen its own defense pillar within NATO. Chancellor Merz told German media he sees 'no connection' between his remarks and the troop reduction, and pledged further German assistance once a post-war phase begins, including deploying a naval minesweeper to the Mediterranean to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.