Pentagon Says It Was Caught Off Guard By Trump’s Announcement On Possible Troop Cuts In Europe

The Pentagon said it was surprised by President Donald Trump’s public announcement that his administration is considering a “possible reduction” of U.S. forces stationed in Germany, a decision many defense officials first learned about through the president’s Truth Social post.

Trump wrote on Truth Social:

"The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

According to three defense officials who spoke with Politico, many at the Pentagon only learned of the potential drawdown through the post. The announcement came about a month after a lengthy Pentagon review of forward-deployed forces concluded that no major troop removals were necessary in Europe.

A congressional aide told Politico the department "was not expecting it and has not been planning any kind of drawdown," but added that officials must take the president seriously given his prior actions during his first administration.

In 2020, the Trump administration sought to move nearly 12,000 U.S. troops out of Germany after criticizing Berlin for not meeting NATO defense-spending targets. That plan was blocked by Congress and later reversed by President Joe Biden.

The latest announcement followed a public spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Germany’s stance in the escalating conflict with Iran. Merz argued the U.S. had been "humiliated" by Iran and criticized Tehran’s negotiating tactics. He told students:

"The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating... An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards."

Trump replied on Truth Social, sharply criticizing Merz and Germany and accusing the chancellor of being permissive toward Iran. He also suggested he would "probably" consider withdrawing troops from Italy and Spain over their level of support in the Iran confrontation, saying in response to reporters: "Probably … Look, why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible."

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told reporters the department "plans for every scenario, and we are fully prepared to execute the orders of the commander-in-chief at the time and place of his choosing." The White House did not respond to Politico’s request for comment.

This report was first published on Mediaite and draws on reporting by Politico and official Pentagon statements.