Trump erupts at Pete Hegseth in furious phone call after abrupt Poland troops cut
WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth found himself facing President Donald Trump’s wrath after withdrawing the deployment of thousands of US troops to Poland, a move that blindsided officials on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Army’s 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Armoured Brigade Combat Team, stationed at Fort Hood, had initially been set to replace another armoured unit from the same division that was deployed to Poland last year.
But the planned deployment was scrapped after the Pentagon chief signed a memo ordering the Joint Chiefs of Staff to withdraw a brigade combat team from Europe.
The move was seen as a part of Trump's broader push to scale back American support for Europe following his fallout with European leaders over the Iran war.
Trump unloads on Pete Hegseth over troop cuts
Amid fears of straining ties with one of Washington’s strongest allies, President Trump swiftly stepped in to contain the diplomatic mess caused by his Pentagon chief, announcing plans to send an additional 5,000 US troops to Poland.
But before announcing the plans, he made sure his Pentagon chief got a blunt lesson in diplomacy. According to reports by The Wall Street Journal, Trump phoned Hegseth to demand an explanation for his decision to cancel the troop deployment.
During the conversation, Trump reportedly reminded Hegseth that the US could not afford to mishandle its relationship with Poland, given the country’s close alliance with the White House.
Neither the White House nor the Pentagon disputed the report, instead releasing statements emphasizing that Trump and Hegseth remained in agreement over US troop deployments across Europe.
“President Trump appreciates all the secretary has done—and will continue to do—in executing the America First agenda within our military and prioritizing our warfighters like never before,” said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.
Trump rushes to reassure Washington allies
Trump’s decision to send more troops is seen as an effort to reassure the European allies of continued American backing, even as he pushes for a broader reduction of US military presence across the continent.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NATO leaders Friday the US did not seek to punish allies but only has a limited number of troops it can deploy across the globe.
"The United States continues to have global commitments that it needs to meet in terms of our force deployment, and that constantly requires us to re-examine where we put troops. This is not a punitive thing," Rubio said at a foreign ministers conference in Helsingborg, Sweden.
While the president appears to have backed away from plans to reduce troops in Poland, he remains firmly committed to scaling back the US military presence in Germany.
Trump, who has repeatedly complained that NATO countries had failed to assist the attack on Iran, has warned for months that the U.S. would pull forces from Europe.
