U.S. troop drawdown in Germany to go “a lot further," Trump says

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on May 2, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is spending the weekend at his Mar-A-Lago resort. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

The number of service members stationed in Germany will fall much lower than what the Pentagon stated on Friday, President Donald Trump revealed while taking questions from reporters at a Florida airport.

Big picture view:

The Pentagon previously indicated that approximately 5,000 service members would be pulled from the European nation. When asked about the move Saturday, Trump did not explain the reason for the move, but indicated the actual number would be higher.

What they're saying:

"We’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000," Trump said without giving any more details about the drawdown. 

By the numbers:

More than 36,000 active-duty members of the military were deployed to Germany as of the end of last year, according to Defense Department numbers. When reservists and civilian workers are included, that number is pushed to nearly 50,000, by far the highest number in Europe and second only to Japan for overseas deployments.

The other side:

German defense minister Boris Pistorius responded to the initial reports about the Pentagon’s announcement that 5,000 service members would be pulled from his country by saying that the move was expected and that European nations should take on more responsibility for their defense.

Conversely, he argued that the security relationship between the U.S. and Europe has benefited all nations, saying, "The presence of American soldiers in Europe, and especially in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the U.S." 

Dig deeper:

The decision to pull U.S. forces from Germany comes after Trump has expressed continuing frustration with European allies for not taking an active part in the conflict with Iran. Last week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. is being "humiliated" by Iranian leaders.

The proposed drawdown has been criticized by Democrats and some Republicans, who noted that such a move may send the wrong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose ongoing war with Ukraine is entering its fifth year.