Trump administration to cut 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany

Politics Trump administration to cut 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany By Jennifer Jacobs Jennifer Jacobs Senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs is a senior White House reporter at CBS News. Read Full Bio Jennifer Jacobs Updated on: May 1, 2026 / 5:22 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The Pentagon is planning to withdraw about 5,000 American forces from Germany, senior defense officials said Friday.The officials characterized the move as a signal of President Trump's discontent with the level of assistance that European allies have offered in the U.S.-Iran war. Mr. Trump has publicly criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the leaders of other NATO member states for not getting directly involved in the U.S.'s military campaign against Iran.The U.S. military has a massive presence in Germany dating back to the aftermath of World War II and the Cold War. More than 36,000 active duty troops were assigned to bases throughout Germany as of last December, along with nearly 1,500 reservists and 11,500 civilians, according to Defense Department figures. Japan is the only foreign country with a larger presence of U.S. troops. Germany is also home to the headquarters of U.S. European Command and Africa Command, and its Ramstein Air Base is a key hub for U.S. operations.Some of the U.S. forces who are being moved out of Europe may return to the U.S. and then be deployed abroad, defense officials said, describing it as an effort to focus on the Pentagon's priorities in the U.S. homeland and the Indo-Pacific region. The withdrawals will not affect transports of injured troops to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the officials said. Landstuhl is the largest U.S. hospital abroad, and has taken care of U.S. forces injured by Iranian strikes. Mr. Trump hinted earlier this week that he was considering troop reductions in Germany. He has grown increasingly frustrated with Merz in recent days, after the German chancellor said this week "the A...