The chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services committees said Saturday they are "very concerned" about the planned withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany amid escalating tensions between President Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) issued a joint statement warning that "prematurely reducing" the American military presence in Europe would undermine deterrence and send the wrong message to Russian President Vladimir Putin as his war in Ukraine continues.
The withdrawal announcement followed Trump’s public criticism of Merz, whom he accused of miscalculating the threat posed by a nuclear Iran. The president suggested the German leader should focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rather than weighing in on U.S. policy toward Tehran.
"Germany has stepped up in response to President Trump’s call for greater burden sharing, significantly increasing defense spending and providing seamless access, basing, and overflight for U.S. forces in support of Operation Epic Fury," Wicker and Rogers said in their statement.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican committee leaders expressed alarm at what they characterize as a premature reduction in U.S. force structure overseas. Wicker and Rogers argued that Germany has been fulfilling its pledges to increase defense spending and provide logistical support, making this an inopportune time to draw down American presence.
The chairmen proposed instead that any forces removed from Germany should be repositioned eastward to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank rather than returned to the United States. They emphasized that "significant" changes to U.S. posture require congressional consultation through a deliberate review process, and called on the Pentagon to brief oversight committees in the coming weeks.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive Democrats have largely remained quiet on the troop withdrawal announcement, though some members of the party’s foreign policy wing have raised concerns about signaling abandonment to NATO allies at a time when European security arrangements are under strain.
Critics within the Democratic caucus argue that unilateral force reductions without allied consultation could undermine the coalition-building approach that has historically underpinned transatlantic defense cooperation. They note that burden-sharing negotiations with European partners have produced commitments toward increased defense spending, and question whether now is the right moment for a significant posture change.
What the Numbers Show
The planned withdrawal involves approximately 5,000 service members from Germany, representing a notable portion of the roughly 35,000 American troops currently stationed there. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the reduction is expected to be completed over six to twelve months as part of an ongoing force posture review.
Germany has committed to increasing defense spending toward 5% of gross domestic product, a target NATO members agreed to pursue at last year’s summit. U.S. officials have pointed to this commitment as evidence that allied burden-sharing is improving, complicating the rationale for reducing American presence on European soil.
The Bottom Line
The withdrawal decision places congressional Republicans in an unusual position of public disagreement with a president from their own party. Wicker and Rogers’ statement signals that defense hawks on Capitol Hill intend to use their oversight authority to press the Pentagon for detailed justification and a seat at the table on any final posture decisions.
What happens next: The Armed Services committees are expected to request formal briefings from Defense Department leadership in the coming weeks. The outcome of those consultations could determine whether congressional Republicans attempt to block or modify the withdrawal through legislative means, though such an effort would ultimately require White House cooperation.