Should the United States Withdraw Troops from Germany?

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 Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced that 5,000 troops will be withdrawn from bases in Germany over the next 6 to 12 months, out of roughly 36,000 US personnel based in the country.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

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Cato Event Podcast podcast page.