The Pentagon announced Friday that roughly 5,000 U.S. troops would be pulled out of Germany over the next six to twelve months. By Saturday, President Donald Trump made clear that number is just the opening bid.
Speaking to reporters in Florida on May 2, President Trump was asked about the Germany drawdown and did not hedge.
“We’re going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000,” Trump said.
REPORTER: “Why is the US removing troops from Germany?”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “We’re going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.” pic.twitter.com/7PK9g1Bgax
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 2, 2026
Germany currently hosts about 36,000 American troops, the largest U.S. military footprint anywhere in Europe. That presence has been a sore point for Trump since his first term, when he pushed to withdraw thousands of soldiers after Germany repeatedly failed to meet its NATO defense spending commitments. The Biden administration reversed that earlier drawdown before it
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