Trump suggests US troops could return to base in Afghanistan, citing its proximity to rival China

"President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that he is working to reestablish a U.S. presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, four years after America's chaotic withdrawal from the country left the base in the Taliban's hands. Trump floated the idea during a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he wrapped up a state visit to the U.K. and tied it to the need for the U.S. to counter its top rival, China. "We're trying to get it back," Trump said of the base in an aside to a question about ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine."

"During his first presidency, Trump set the terms for the U.S. withdrawal by negotiating a deal with the Taliban. The 20-year conflict came to an end in disquieting fashion under President Joe Biden: The U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed, a grisly bombing killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 others, and thousands of desperate Afghans descended on Kabul's airport in search of a way out before the final U.S. aircraft departed over the Hindu Kush."

"While Trump described his call for the U.S. military to reestablish a position in Afghanistan as "breaking news," the Republican president has previously raised the idea. The White House did not immediately respond to questions about whether it or the Pentagon has done any planning around returning to the sprawling air base, which was central to America's longest war."

Donald Trump suggested restoring a U.S. presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, four years after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal left the base under Taliban control. He raised the proposal during a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and linked the move to countering China. The White House did not immediately confirm any planning or Pentagon involvement regarding a return to the base. Trump previously negotiated withdrawal terms with the Taliban during his first presidency. The U.S. exit under Biden saw the collapse of the U.S.-backed Afghan government, a deadly bombing that killed U.S. troops and others, and mass evacuations from Kabul.

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