Donald Trump has issued a new threat to withdraw additional US troops from Germany, following his initial announcement last week to reduce the presence by 5,000 soldiers. This initial move, which left 30,000 US troops remaining in the country, had already stunned European leaders and some senior members of his own Republican party. On Saturday, Trump escalated his stance, stating to reporters, "We are going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000."

The catalyst for Trump's initial decision to reduce US personnel in Germany stemmed from comments made by German chancellor Friedrich Merz. Merz had publicly stated that the US was being "humiliated" by Iran. Following this, the Pentagon announced on Friday the withdrawal of 5,000 troops, justifying the decision as a result of a "thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground."

Merz's critical remarks, delivered to students in Marsberg, specifically targeted Iran's negotiation tactics. He asserted that "the Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result." Merz added that "an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards," expressing hope for a swift resolution to this situation.

The prospect of further troop reductions has drawn significant concern from key Republican figures in Congress. Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, who chair the armed services committees, released a joint statement expressing they were "very concerned." They highlighted Germany's increased defense spending and consistent support for US forces, particularly through providing "seamless access, basing, and overflight for US forces in support of Operation Epic Fury," the military campaign against Iran. They emphasized that any troop reduction should involve coordination with both Congress and US allies.

Wicker and Rogers further argued that maintaining a strong deterrent in Europe is in the US interest. Instead of an outright withdrawal, they proposed relocating these 5,000 US forces to Eastern Europe. They noted that these Eastern allies have made substantial investments to host US troops, which reduces costs for American taxpayers while simultaneously strengthening NATO's front line, thereby helping to prevent a potentially more costly conflict. Merz’s comments have underscored broader tensions between the US, NATO, and European allies concerning conflicts in Iran and other foreign policy issues, as evidenced by a leaked Pentagon email to Reuters which floated the idea of punishing Spain for its criticism of the war and potentially suspending it from the NATO alliance.