Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Trump Pulls 5,000 Troops, Reviews Iran Deal Amid Record Disapproval

5/4/2026

49 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany and said he will review a new 14-point Iranian peace proposal.
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll of 2,560 adults gave him a 62% disapproval rating, the highest in the survey’s history.
The poll showed 76% disapproved of his handling of the cost of living and party-line approval was 85% among Republicans, 25% among independents, and 5% among Democrats.

History

Historical Context

After the Cold War, the United States reduced its German garrison from over 70,000 to about 40,000 by the early 2010s. In June 2020 President Donald Trump called for a further cut, later targeting roughly 24,000 before the plan stalled in 2021. The 2026 proposal to pull around 5,000 troops mirrors those earlier drawdowns and fuels NATO burden-sharing debates.

1 of 2

Story summary

President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany and said he will review a new 14-point Iranian peace proposal.
A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll of 2,560 adults gave him a 62% disapproval rating, the highest in the survey’s history.
The poll showed 76% disapproved of his handling of the cost of living and party-line approval was 85% among Republicans, 25% among independents, and 5% among Democrats.

1 / 2