The Trump administration announced Friday it is withdrawing 5,000 troops from its bases in Germany. The withdrawal will reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed there by about 14%, reversing a buildup that began under President Biden following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago. This comes after President Trump insulted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as a “totally ineffective” leader who “doesn’t know what he is talking about,” following Merz’s comment that the United States had no exit plan from its war against Iran and had been “humiliated” by Iran’s leaders.