page_title: Mark Esper
section_title: Withdrawal of U.S. forces from Germany
hierarchical_section_title: Mark Esper / Secretary of Defense / Tenure / Withdrawal of U.S. forces from Germany
caption_attribution_description: President Donald J. Trump participates in a bilateral meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda Wednesday, June 24, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)
context_page_description: Mark Thomas Esper is the 27th and current United States secretary of defense, and a former U.S. Army officer and defense contractor lobbyist. He previously served as the 23rd United States secretary of the Army from 2017 to 2019.
  President Donald Trump announced on June 18, 2019, that Esper would become acting secretary of defense, succeeding acting secretary Patrick M. Shanahan. Before Shanahan withdrew his name from consideration for the position, Esper had been considered a leading candidate for the nomination had the Senate declined to confirm Shanahan. Esper assumed the office of acting secretary on June 24, and was confirmed as 27th secretary of defense by the United States Senate with a vote of 90–8 on July 23, 2019.
  A West Point graduate, Esper formerly served as a U.S. Army officer. After leaving military service, he was a Senate staffer, chief of staff at the Heritage Foundation, and Vice President for Government Relations at Raytheon.
context_section_description: On June 6, 2020, Trump directed the Pentagon to remove 9,500 American troops from Germany – capping the total number at 25,000. A White House official and Trump said the move was partially influenced by U.S. frustration with Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, owned by Russia's Gazprom, and with Germany's unwillingness to spend more on defense in support of NATO. On June 24, 2020, Trump said at a press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda that the United States plans to move some U.S. troops from Germany to Poland. Trump said "I think [putting more US troops in Poland] sends a very strong signal to Russia."
  The announcement reportedly caught NATO, Germany, and the Pentagon off guard. Trump's announcement faced immediate criticism from all corners, including from Republicans on Capitol Hill who believed the move would embolden Russia and harm NATO. Trump's plan to withdraw troops created tensions with Esper and other top Defense Department officials, who feared that a withdrawal of U.S. troops from bases in Germany would compromised America's defense against Russia.  
  On June 26, Esper traveled to NATO headquarters in Brussels to meet with NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.  
  On June 30, Esper met with Trump at the White House to brief him on the proposed Defense Department plan. Trump approved Esper's proposal, recognizing that a rapid withdrawal of troops from Germany was “logistically impossible”.
caption: Trump, Esper and Polish president Andrzej Duda at the White House on June 24, 2020.[41]
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