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President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday the U.S. is weighing a potential drawdown of American troops in Germany, opening a new front in his escalating feud with the country’s leadership just days after he blasted Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Iran.
In a Truth Social post Wednesday afternoon, Trump said the U.S. is “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany.”
He said a determination will be made “over the next short period of time.”
The announcement comes after the president on Tuesday criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, saying he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” regarding Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
President Donald Trump speaks about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington on April 1, 2026. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AP)
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“The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage.”
“I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago. No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!” he added.
The president’s comments were seemingly in response to Merz’s speech in Marsberg Monday, where he said the U.S. was being “humiliated by the Iranian leadership.”
President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 3, 2026, to discuss issues including recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
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Merz added he hopes the war ends “as quickly as possible.”
During both of Trump’s terms, the leaders have publicly clashed on issues including tariffs and defense.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz predicted the protests in Iran would lead to an early fall of the regime during his three-day trip to India. (Kay Nietfeld/Picture Alliance)
Earlier this month, Merz said he did not believe NATO should be involved in the war with Iran, as Trump urged allies to secure Strait of Hormuz.
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As of December 2025, there are more than 36,000 active U.S. service members stationed in Germany, more than any other European country, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center.
It is unclear how much the president may slash troops.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.