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Clashes between Merz and Trump/DW: Alarm signal for Germany, US military presence in question
2026-05-01 08:55:46 / BOTA
The clash between Merz and Trump appears to be intensifying.
Trump is now threatening to reduce the presence of US troops in Germany. A decision is expected to be made “soon.” It is not Trump’s first threat.
According to US President Donald Trump, the US is considering a possible reduction in troops in Germany. A decision is expected to be made soon, he wrote on his Truth Social platform. The announcement follows Trump's harsh criticism of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, after the latter had expressed his reservations about the US offensive against Iran. "He has no idea what he is talking about!" Trump wrote on Tuesday of Merz, adding that "it is no wonder Germany is doing so badly, both economically and in other respects". Trump accused the chancellor of accepting that Iran possesses nuclear weapons. However, it is not known that Merz has ever expressed himself in this way.
According to US military data, as of mid-April, about 86,000 soldiers were deployed in Europe, of which about 39,000 were in Germany. This number changes regularly, also due to rotations and exercises.
Merz and Trump meet at the White House, Oval Office, March 3, 2026Merz and Trump meet at the White House, Oval Office, March 3, 2026
Has the personal relationship between Trump and Merz reached a low point? Merz counters: "The personal relationship between the American president and me - at least from my point of view - remains good and unchanged." Photo: Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo/picture alliance
Merz tries to calm the situation
Trump's recent statements suggest that the personal Trump-Merz relationship has reached a new low. However, the German chancellor contradicted that impression on Wednesday. "The personal relationship between the American president and me - at least from my point of view - remains good and unchanged," he said. "We continue to be in good communication with each other."
For months, the Federal Chancellor and the US President had cultivated a relatively good relationship. Recently, however, Merz changed his tune and openly criticized Washington. He accused the US government of not having an exit strategy for the war with Iran. The Americans, he said, entered this war “clearly without any strategy,” Merz said during a discussion with schoolchildren in Marsberg, in the Sauerland region. This makes it even more difficult to end the conflict. “Especially when the Iranians seem to be negotiating very cleverly – or just as cleverly not negotiating at all,” Merz said. “Here an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian state leadership.”
Trump has threatened before
During his first term as president (2017–2021), Donald Trump announced plans to reduce the number of US troops in Germany. A few months before leaving the White House, Trump announced his intention to withdraw 12,000 of the approximately 35,000 US soldiers then stationed in Germany. Several thousand of them would be relocated within Europe, while others would return to the US. Trump described the plan at the time as punishment for what he saw as Germany's low defense spending. His successor, Joe Biden, halted the plans shortly after taking office.
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