President Donald Trump announced Wednesday the U.S. is weighing a potential drawdown of American troops in Germany, opening a new front in his escalating feud with the country’s leadership just days after he blasted Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Iran. In a Truth Social post Wednesday afternoon, Trump said the U.S. is "studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany." "The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Tuesday. "He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage. The president's comments were seemingly in response to Merz's speech in Marsberg Monday, where he said the U.S. was being "humiliated by the Iranian leadership." Earlier this month, Merz said he did not believe NATO should be involved in the war with Iran as Trump urged allies to secure the Strait of Hormuz. As of December 2025, there were more than 36,000 active U.S. service members stationed in Germany, more than any other European country, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center. It is unclear how much the president may slash troops. David Morens, a former NIAID employee, is facing indictment for his role in a scheme to evade Freedom of Information Act requests in connection with covid research grants. Morens is charged with conspiracy against the United States; destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations; concealment, removal or mutilation of records; and, aiding and abetting. David Morens served as a senior advisor in NIAID’s Office of the Director (“OD”) from 2006 through 2022, while Anthony Fauci led the institute as its director. Fauci was the director of NIAID from 1984 to 2022. He was issued a pre-emptive pardon by President Joe Biden in January 2025 and is currently a Distinguished University Professor at Georgetown University. In 2024, Fauci distanced himself from Morens. publicly claiming that he and Morens did not work closely together and that Morens was not an adviser on institute policy or substantive issues. Now Morens has been charged for his alleged scheme to keep public records away from Freedom of Information Act requests. If convicted, he faces up to three years in prison for each count of concealment of records, up to five years for conspiracy against the U.S. and up to 20 years for each count of destruction of records, The Hill reports. https://expose-news.com/2026/04/29/senior-covid-advisor-charged-with-conspiracy/ 
Trump weighs pulling US troops from Germany amid clash with chancellor over Iran war:
Senior covid advisor to Anthony Fauci is charged with conspiracy against the United States: