Journalist Anne Applebaum amplified an Atlantic article titled ‘The Real Cost of Withdrawing U.S. Troops from Germany’ and used a pull quote to promote it on social media: “The U.S. administration has suggested that the troop withdrawal was meant to punish German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for criticizing Washington’s Iran policy. But in fact it punishes the pro-American German middle class.”
President Trump’s Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, Richard Grenell, a former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, replied: “Quite possibly the most anti-American point of view you could articulate. Not surprising from the well-known America hater Anne Applebaum who lives in Warsaw, Poland. This posture realignment has been talked about for decades because the threats we face are different than when we placed troops throughout Europe. Think before you speak, Anne. Or at least use google.”
Applebaum replied to Grenell: “Thanks for amplifying this excellent article, which I did not write, but which I admired for its honesty and accuracy.”
[Note: The article was written by Imran Khalid, a geostrategic analyst and a senior fellow at Foreign Policy in Focus.]
Quite possibly the most anti-American point of view you could articulate.
Not surprising from the well-known America hater Anne Applebaum who lives in Warsaw, Poland.
This posture realignment has been talked about for decades because the threats we face are different than… https://t.co/m7KNlIR2Oe
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) May 10, 2026
Others attacked Grenell for his post, including Edward Luce of the Financial Times, who replied: “Your criticisms are always B-movie character assassinations that reflect on you not your target.”
Former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) also replied to Grenell: “Man, you get triggered so easily.”
Former Republican attorney George Conway, who is running for Congress in New York as a Democrat, replied to Grenell: “Anne’s a patriot. You’re a psycho.”
Anne’s a patriot. You’re a psycho. https://t.co/bqpDZLjdB1
— George Conway
(@gtconway3d) May 11, 2026
