President Donald Trump said “yeah, I probably will,” when asked whether he would consider pulling U.S. troops from Italy and Spain.
“Why shouldn't I? Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible. Absolutely horrible,” he replied, doubling down on his argument that NATO allies have not supported the U.S. during the Iran war.
“We helped them [Europe] with Ukraine… but when we needed them, they were not there. We have to remember that.”
As of December 2025, there were 12,662 U.S. active-duty personnel stationed in Italy and 3,814 in Spain, according to data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC).
While Spain has yet to respond to Trump mulling over the troops, Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has pushed back.
“I wouldn't understand the reasons behind it. As is clear to anyone, we haven't used the Strait of Hormuz. And we've even offered to carry out a mission to protect shipping—a gesture that, incidentally, was greatly appreciated by the U.S. military,” he told Italian ANSA news agency.
To say American politics is fucked is and understatement. Majority of eligible voters did not vote. So despite conservatives always being bottom of public polls and surveys, conservative voters are more consistent voters. With younger generations being disenfranchised and working class voters often unable to get time off work to go vote as other western democracies do to ensure maximum participation. But you can bet conservatives will ensure every nursing home will have a polling station where the elderly can cast a ballot