President Donald Trump on Tuesday cast doubt on the need for American military operations in Somalia and Kenya, telling senior commanders that the United States should turn its attention inward rather than continue what he described as “policing” far-off regions of Africa.
“For years, politicians assumed our job was to police the far reaches of Kenya and Somalia while America itself faces an invasion,” Trump said during remarks at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. He did not specify what he meant by “invasion,” but suggested the adversary was harder to detect “because they don’t wear uniforms.”
Trump said he intends to deploy federal forces to additional U.S. cities as part of this shift in priorities. He did not clarify whether the change would affect ongoing missions in East Africa, where U.S. forces have long partnered with Somali and Kenyan troops to combat al-Shabab, the al-Qaida affiliate operating in the region.
Somalia has been a central focus of U.S. counterterrorism strategy in the Horn of Africa, with Washington investing roughly $3 billion over the past decade in training, equipment and joint operations.
American advisers support Somalia’s U.S.-trained Danab Brigade, and in 2024 the two governments signed a deal to construct up to five new Somali army bases aimed at weakening al-Shabab’s insurgency.
Kenya, a key partner in regional security, was designated a major non-NATO ally in May 2024 during President William Ruto’s state visit to Washington, granting Nairobi expanded access to training, financing and equipment.
The U.S. also maintains a presence at Kenya’s Manda Bay base, a hub for counterterror operations.
Now, Trump’s remarks coincide with a broader review of U.S. military commitments in the Horn of Africa. Fourteen months after Kenya’s upgraded alliance status, Congress is debating proposals to amend the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act that could reshape Washington’s role in the region.
For now, U.S. Africa Command continues to report airstrikes and partnered operations in Somalia, underscoring the unresolved question: whether Trump’s inward-focused vision signals a significant retrenchment from one of America’s longest-running counterterror missions abroad.
