During the nightmarish U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan under former President Joe Biden, America was forced to abandon Bagram Air Base to the Taliban, which they've controlled since 2021.
According to Fox News, President Donald Trump wants the base back in U.S. control and has issued a threat to Afghanistan if the United States doesn't regain control over the strategic air base.
Trump hinted recently that the U.S. is actively attempting to reestablish control over the air base, but didn't offer specifics regarding how that's going to happen.
The president made clear in his threat that "bad things will happen" if Afghanistan doesn't convince the Taliban to hand the base back to the United States.
It was during a recent press conference in the U.K. that Trump broke the news about the pursuit of regaining control of the base.
The outlet noted:
In remarks to the press while standing alongside U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the president criticized the handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Joe Biden and said he had "a little breaking news."
"We're trying to get it back," Trump said. "We're trying to get it back because they need things from us."
He added, "We want that base back, but one of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it's an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons."
Trump is speaking to reporters in a Tuxedo before he heads to George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
He says “you’re going to find out what I’m going to do” if Afghanistan doesn’t return Bagram Airfield. pic.twitter.com/E3bddJiRxn
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) September 21, 2025
Notably, Bagram Air Base was originally constructed by the USSR. The United States claimed it when it went to war in the region in 2001.
Users across social media weighed in on the president's vow to regain control of the strategic base.
"DJT cleaning up all the problems created by the morons in the Biden Administration. 100% True," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "I always thought having a base there was strategic. Even when we're not fighting in Afghanistan, which we shouldn't be, that's key terrain."
It'll be interesting to see if the Taliban eventually cedes control of the base or if it turns into a fight.
