
Should the United States Withdraw Troops from Germany?
From Cato Event Podcast by Cato Institute
May 19, 2026 · 1h 28m
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of the US potentially withdrawing troops from Germany amidst ongoing debates about NATO and US foreign policy.
President Trump has repeatedly promised to withdraw US forces from Europe in an ongoing debate over America’s role in NATO. Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced that 5,000 troops will be withdrawn from bases in Germany over the next 6 to 12 months, out of roughly 36,000 US personnel based in the country. Although the justification was ostensibly Germany’s unwillingness to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a withdrawal is consonant with Trump’s prior statements and his effort to withdraw 12,000 troops from Germany in 2020. More than 75 years after the founding of NATO, is a US withdrawal from Germany warranted? What will be the likely consequences? And can the administration sustain a burden-shift to Europe? Please join our panel of distinguished experts on transatlantic security to discuss these questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Topics covered
- US military presence
- NATO
- transatlantic security
- troop withdrawal
- US foreign policy
Keywords
- troop withdrawal
- Germany
- NATO
- President Trump
- transatlantic security
- US military
- foreign policy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Cato Institute
Places: Germany, Europe, NATO, Strait of Hormuz
More episodes of Cato Event Podcast
- Free Expression Under Fire from the FCC · June 9, 2026 · 1h 0m
- Felony Review: Tales of True Crime and Corruption in Chicago · June 3, 2026 · 1h 1m
- Compulsion in Speech: Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan and Beyond · June 2, 2026 · 1h 1m
- Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court · May 21, 2026 · 1h 0m
- Trump v. Barbara: Birthright Citizenship at the Supreme Court · May 21, 2026 · 1h 0m
- Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse · May 18, 2026 · 1h 2m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Cato Event Podcast podcast page.