Donald Trump’s cabinet is knifing each other over how to scale back US military support for NATO allies in Europe.
Marco Rubio blocked Pete Hegseth’s plan to reduce American troop levels on the continent, just as the Pentagon chief was preparing last month to brief NATO leaders in Brussels on a fresh round of drawdowns.
Hegseth had previously informed NATO that the US would withdraw submarines, drone support, and naval warships from allied operations in the event of war.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Hegseth’s troop withdrawal plan was rejected after it was shared with Rubio and other senior administration officials.
Instead, Hegseth briefed NATO officials on an upcoming review of US military capabilities in Europe, a process that could take up to six months.
The Rubio-Hegseth clash is part of a broader rift within the administration over how quickly, and how far, America’s footprint in Europe should shrink, the Journal reported.
The episode also underscores Rubio’s seniority over Hegseth in Trump’s cabinet, with the secretary of state able to swiftly undo Pentagon policy in Europe.
Trump has long insisted that European nations shoulder more of the cost of their own defense.
Marco Rubio blocked Pete Hegseth’s plan to reduce American troop levels on the continent, just as the Pentagon chief was preparing last month to brief NATO leaders in Brussels on a fresh round of drawdowns
The episode also underscores Rubio’s seniority over Hegseth in Trump’s cabinet, with the secretary of state able to swiftly undo Pentagon policy in Europe
Europe will be responsible for maintaining its own supply of reconnaissance drones, a key weapon on the modern battlefield of Ukraine
The US accounts for roughly 62 percent of total defense spending across NATO, with an annual military budget of around $980 billion
Hegseth has echoed this policy by urging NATO members to assume what he described as the ‘primary responsibility’ for protecting the continent.
But the defense secretary’s appetite for steeper cuts has unsettled allies abroad and GOP lawmakers at home.
Some congressional Republicans fear that pulling back too fast would leave NATO exposed and hand Russia an opening to attack NATO.
That anxiety has already made its way into pending defense legislation, which would bar the Pentagon from dropping troop levels in Europe below 76,000 unless Hegseth completes a military risk assessment and certifies the move.
Hegseth’s unilateral streak has apparently caught even the president off guard.
When the defense secretary canceled a routine armored brigade rotation to Poland in May, Trump reportedly called to ask why he was treating a valued ally so poorly. The President later announced he would send the country 5,000 troops instead.
In response to the report, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth ‘ensured his message was aligned with the president’s objectives and agenda, and he did not want to impede upon the president’s decision space.’
Trump plans to meet NATO leaders at next week’s summit in Turkey, where European defense spending and America’s role in the alliance will top the agenda.
