Trump has targeted troop levels in Germany before. During his first term, he ordered some 9,500 U.S. troops to be taken out of the country, an ally since the end of the Second World War. That plan was not fully realized. The United States had more than 35,000 troops in Germany in 2024, according to the Congressional Research Service, although the number is now believed to be higher with German media saying it’s nearer 50,000.