During a press conference on Thursday, September 18, 2025, former President Donald Trump revealed his consideration of re-establishing a U.S. military presence at Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base. This comes four years after America’s withdrawal, which resulted in the base falling under Taliban control.
Trump’s suggestion emerged while concluding a state visit to the U.K., alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He explicitly linked the potential return to Afghanistan with the broader strategic imperative for the U.S. to counter its primary global competitor, China.
Commenting on the base during a discussion about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Trump stated, “We’re trying to get it back.”
Despite Trump presenting his proposal for a U.S. military re-establishment in Afghanistan as “breaking news,” he has brought up this concept before. As of now, neither the White House nor the Pentagon has commented on whether any concrete plans are in motion for a return to the expansive air base, a site that played a crucial role throughout America’s longest war.
It was during his initial presidency that Trump laid the groundwork for the U.S. withdrawal, having negotiated a deal directly with the Taliban. However, the 20-year conflict ultimately concluded under President Joe Biden’s leadership in a tumultuous manner: the U.S.-supported Afghan government crumbled, a devastating bombing claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members and 170 others, and throngs of desperate Afghans swarmed Kabul’s airport, desperate to escape before the last American aircraft departed over the Hindu Kush mountains.
This Afghanistan crisis proved to be a significant blow to Biden’s Democratic presidency, occurring just eight months into his term, and it was a challenge from which he struggled to fully recover.
Republican critics, including Trump himself, seized upon the chaotic withdrawal as a definitive mark of a failed presidency. Such condemnations have continued, with Trump recently asserting that the U.S. departure from Afghanistan emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin to initiate the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Referencing Putin, Trump declared, “He would have never done what he did, except that he didn’t respect the leadership of the United States.” He continued to lambast the Afghanistan withdrawal, calling it a “total disaster for no reason whatsoever.” Trump insisted that his plan was to leave Afghanistan “with strength and dignity,” specifically intending to retain Bagram Air Base, which he described as “one of the biggest air bases in the world,” adding, “We gave it to them for nothing.”
Later, when questioned about the proposal aboard Air Force One, Trump refrained from providing specifics. Instead, he reiterated his criticism of President Biden, accusing him of “gross incompetence” and maintaining that Bagram Air Base should “never been given back.”
He emphasized the base’s strategic importance, stating, “It’s one of the most powerful bases in the world in terms of runway strength and length. You can land anything on there. You can land a planet on top of it.”
It remains unconfirmed whether the U.S. has engaged in any recent direct or indirect discussions with the Taliban government regarding a potential return to Afghanistan. However, Trump suggested that the Taliban, currently facing severe economic hardship, struggles for international recognition, internal conflicts, and challenges from rival militant groups since their 2021 takeover, might be willing to permit a U.S. military re-entry.
Regarding the Taliban, Trump commented, “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” implying leverage due to Afghanistan’s current difficulties.
The President reiterated his long-held belief that a U.S. presence at Bagram is highly valuable due to its close proximity to China, which he identifies as the United States’ most significant economic and military rival.
He further elaborated on his reasoning, stating, “But one of the reasons we want that base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. So a lot of things are happening.”
Despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations, the U.S. and the Taliban have previously engaged in discussions concerning hostage situations. For instance, an American tourist abducted over two years ago in Afghanistan was released by the Taliban in March.
Just last week, the Taliban announced an agreement with U.S. envoys for a prisoner exchange, a move reportedly aimed at normalizing relations between the two entities.
However, the Taliban did not disclose specific details of the swap, and the White House chose not to comment on the Kabul meeting or the outcomes outlined in the Taliban’s statement. Photographs released by the Taliban showed their foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, meeting with Adam Boehler, Mr. Trump’s special envoy for hostage response.
When asked about re-establishing a presence at Bagram, officials at U.S. Central Command in the Middle East and the Pentagon, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office, directed all inquiries to the White House.