Trump Floats U.S. Return to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan to Counter China
President Donald Trump dropped a bombshell on Thursday, revealing efforts to reclaim Bagram Air Base from the Taliban. He linked the push directly to China’s nuclear ambitions, stirring fresh controversy over U.S. military footprints abroad.
The Surprise Announcement
Trump shared the update during a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Aylesbury, England, capping his U.K. state visit. “We’re trying to get it back,” he said, calling it “breaking news.” He stressed the Taliban’s need for U.S. aid as leverage: “They need things from us. We want that base back.”
The president highlighted Bagram’s location: “One of the reasons we want that base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.” This echoes his March 2025 claim that the base is vital for monitoring China’s Xinjiang facilities.
Bagram’s History and the 2021 Withdrawal
Bagram, built by the Soviets in the 1950s, became the U.S. military’s Afghan hub post-9/11. It spanned two square miles, with an 11,800-foot runway for bombers, a hospital, and space for over 100,000 troops at peak.
Trump’s 2020 Doha Agreement with the Taliban set a 2021 withdrawal deadline but omitted base retention. U.S. forces vacated Bagram in July 2021, handing it to Afghan allies who surrendered it to the Taliban days later. The chaotic exit under President Joe Biden cost 13 American lives in a Kabul bombing and left $85 billion in equipment behind.
Trump has long blasted the move, claiming his plan would have preserved “strength and dignity.” Reports suggest quiet U.S. overtures to the Taliban for months, possibly tied to hostage releases.
Strategic Focus: China Over Afghanistan
Trump clarified the goal isn’t Afghan re-engagement but countering Beijing. Bagram’s spot near Pakistan, Iran, and Central Asia offers surveillance of China’s Belt and Road projects and Xinjiang nuclear sites. He alleged China “controls” Bagram, though Taliban officials deny this.
This fits Trump’s pivot to Pacific threats, including trade wars and Indo-Pacific alliances. Reclaiming Bagram could fill a gap in U.S. encirclement of China, but it demands Taliban talks amid their isolation over human rights.
Expert Takes and Social Media Buzz
Analysts split on feasibility. Brookings’ Michael O’Hanlon called it “strategically intriguing but logistically nightmarish,” citing Taliban unreliability and escalation risks. Defense Priorities’ Daniel DePetris mocked it on X as contradicting Trump’s anti-forever-war stance: “Flirting with bringing U.S. troops back to Bagram Airfield.”
X erupted with reactions. Users like @Megatron_ron shared clips, amassing 1,700 likes debating “smart geopolitics or endless war trap?” Critics, including @TheRickWilson, highlighted Trump’s Doha role: “Wait what?” Supporters praised anti-China resolve, while others warned of opium curbs and regional blowback.
Broader Impacts on Americans
This could reshape U.S. security spending, already at $800 billion yearly, potentially hiking taxes or diverting funds from domestic needs. Politically, it bolsters Trump’s tough-on-China image ahead of midterms but risks alienating isolationists.
For families, it revives fears of deployments, echoing 2021’s trauma. Economically, it ties to U.S.-China tensions, possibly raising consumer costs via tariffs. Tech and mineral access in Afghanistan could benefit U.S. firms, but instability threatens supply chains.
What’s Next: Talks or Tension?
No formal plans exist, but deadlines loom with ongoing U.S.-Taliban contacts. Success might deter Chinese expansion; failure could expose negotiation limits.
Trump’s gambit tests “America First” limits. As Central Asia heats up, Congress and allies will demand clarity on costs and gains.