President Donald Trump reportedly erupted at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the Pentagon abruptly canceled a planned deployment of thousands of U.S. troops to Poland, blindsiding one of America’s closest allies in Eastern Europe.
According to the report, Hegseth earlier this month scrapped the planned deployment of a US armored brigade to Poland, a move that reportedly stunned both US officials and Polish leadership given Poland’s strong support for Trump and NATO’s efforts against Russia.
The cancellation came shortly after the Pentagon announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 US troops from Germany following escalating tensions between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the ongoing Iran war.
But unlike Germany, Poland had remained firmly aligned with the Trump administration.
The Eastern European nation, which borders Russia and has been among Ukraine’s strongest backers since Moscow’s invasion, was reportedly caught completely off guard by the Pentagon decision.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump personally called Hegseth after learning about the cancellation and demanded an explanation for why the deployment had been halted.
At one point during the heated exchange, Trump reportedly lectured the defense secretary that the United States should not mistreat Poland given the country’s loyalty and close ties to the White House.
Neither the White House nor the Pentagon denied the reporting.
Instead, officials attempted to publicly downplay any conflict between Trump and Hegseth.
“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,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.
Shortly after the reported confrontation, Trump moved to reassure Poland directly.
On Thursday, the president announced plans to send an additional 5,000 US troops to the country following the recent election victory of Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
“I am pleased to announce that the United States will be sending an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump did not specify whether the new deployment would restore the previously canceled armored brigade or involve entirely different units.
Reports indicate Pentagon officials are now considering moving the 2nd Cavalry Regiment from Vilseck, Germany, into Poland as part of a broader restructuring of US troop deployments in Europe, the Daily Mail reported.
The controversy reportedly angered lawmakers from both parties.
Republicans and Democrats alike questioned why Poland, one of America’s most reliable NATO allies, appeared to be singled out despite maintaining strong support for US foreign policy objectives.
Polish officials were reportedly so alarmed by the cancellation that they took their concerns directly to the Oval Office.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio later attempted to calm tensions during a NATO conference in Sweden.
“The United States continues to have global commitments that it needs to meet in terms of our force deployment,” Rubio said. “This is not a punitive thing.”
The dispute comes as U.S. relations with NATO allies continue deteriorating amid Trump’s push to reduce America’s military footprint in Europe, ongoing tariff disputes and tensions over the administration’s handling of the Iran conflict.
European governments have also been struggling with economic fallout from rising energy prices tied to the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has rattled global oil markets for months.
