Trump says he is weighing reducing US troop presence in Germany after Iran feud with Merz

On 30 April 2026, US President Trump said he was weighing a reduction of the US troop presence in Germany, after a dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Iran. Trump told Merz to stop interfering and to spend less time on efforts against Iran. He also told Merz to focus on ending the conflict in Ukraine and to 'fix' what he called Germany's 'broken' country. It was the second time Trump criticised Merz in this way.