On October 10, 2025, news broke that the United States would allow Qatar to build a training facility for its air force at Mountain Home Air Force Base, a sprawling military installation nestled just under 50 miles southeast of Boise, Idaho. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the announcement after meeting with Qatar’s deputy prime minister, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, at the Pentagon. The agreement, years in the making, immediately ignited a firestorm of debate across Idaho’s political landscape and reverberated through national security circles.
According to the Associated Press, the seeds for this collaboration were sown back in 2017, when the U.S. approved the sale of F-15QA fighter jets to Qatar. As part of that deal, it was always expected that Qatari pilots would need to train on American soil. Now, with the ink drying on the agreement, the Mountain Home base will see the construction of several new buildings to accommodate a contingent of Qatari F-15s and their pilots, with all associated expenses paid by the Qatari government. Local construction crews will handle the build, and the U.S. Air Force will continue to provide security for the facility, as reported by The National Interest.
But if Pentagon officials hoped for a smooth rollout, they were quickly disabused of that notion. Idaho’s elected officials offered a patchwork of reactions—some supportive, others deeply skeptical, and several conspicuously silent.
On one side, Idaho U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson celebrated the news on social media, writing, “Fantastic news for Mountain Home Air Force Base as (Hegseth) just announced the Pentagon has agreed to host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots here in Idaho. This development is beneficial for training, enhances our partnership with America’s allies, and strengthens national security.” U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, while withholding judgment pending further details, pledged to work with base leadership to “ensure they have the support necessary to fulfill goals of global military readiness that keep Idahoans and Americans safe and protect our long-term national security interests.”
Yet, the announcement also drew sharp criticism and a flurry of questions from the right. A group of ultra-conservative Republicans in the Idaho Legislature, self-styled as the Gang of Eight, fired off a letter to Idaho’s congressional delegation just two days after the Pentagon’s announcement. The letter, signed by state Sen. Christy Zito (who represents Mountain Home), Rep. Faye Thompson, Sens. Glenneda Zuiderveld and Josh Kohl, and Reps. Lucas Cayler, Kent Marmon, Clint Hostetler, and David Leavitt, expressed grave concerns about “Islamic terrorism” and what they saw as a “lack of consultation with Idaho’s state leadership.”
“In the interest of informing our constituents, promoting government transparency, and collaboration between federal and state legislators, we respectfully request answers to the following questions,” the Gang of Eight wrote. Their inquiries ranged from funding sources and the vetting of Qatari trainees to comparisons with other foreign training programs, such as the long-standing Singaporean squadron at Mountain Home. The group’s apprehension reflected a broader unease among some Idahoans about foreign military personnel training so close to home.
Meanwhile, Idaho’s top officials—most notably Republican Gov. Brad Little and U.S. Senator Jim Risch, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—remained silent. As of October 14, neither had issued a public statement or responded to repeated requests for comment from the press. Their reticence only fueled speculation and, for some, frustration about the lack of clear leadership or reassurance.
The far right wasn’t alone in voicing doubts. Idaho Democrats seized on the announcement to criticize both the deal and its political context. “Trump accepted a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, then his regime quietly approved building a Qatari military installation right here in Idaho,” the Idaho Democratic Party posted on X, formerly Twitter. “He sold out our security and used our state as part of the payoff.” However, as Idaho Capital Sun noted, the plans for the training facility and the sale of the jets predated Qatar’s gift of the jumbo jet to former President Trump. The Air Force had already announced the agreement for training back in 2020.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terri Pickens called for a pause on the deal, arguing, “This isn’t just a foreign-relations issue—it’s a direct threat to Idaho’s sovereignty, our security, and the rights of Idahoans. Letting outsiders use our military infrastructure poses serious security and intelligence risks. Governor Little must tell the president to put a pause on this deal before it goes any further.” Todd Achilles, an independent candidate challenging Risch for his Senate seat, bluntly asked, “I have one question for Senator Risch…Were you in on this?”
Outside Idaho, the news sparked outrage among some prominent voices in the MAGA movement. Far-right activist Laura Loomer denounced the move on social media as “an abomination,” while conservative commentator Amy Mek wrote, “Qatar bankrolls Hamas, ISIS, the Taliban, al-Nusra, and the Muslim Brotherhood. It plays both sides—the arsonist and the firefighter—funding jihad, then posing as a ‘mediator.’ This isn’t ‘shared defense goals.’ It’s a shared delusion. We’re not building peace. We’re building a launchpad for the Islamic disaster.” These critics argued that the presence of Qatari forces in Idaho was at odds with the America First doctrine and questioned the wisdom of deepening military ties with a Gulf state that has, at times, been accused of ambiguous allegiances in the Middle East.
Yet, as The National Interest and Idaho Capital Sun both pointed out, such international training arrangements are hardly new. Since 2008, Mountain Home AFB has hosted Singapore’s 428th Fighter Squadron, and other U.S. bases have welcomed German, Belgian, Dutch, and Polish personnel for training on advanced aircraft. In fact, the United States itself maintains a massive military presence in Qatar, with nearly 10,000 U.S. troops stationed at Al Udeid Air Base outside Doha. In 2022, Qatar was designated a Major non-NATO Ally, formalizing its role as a key strategic partner in the region.
From a practical standpoint, the new Qatari facility in Idaho will be relatively modest—just a few additional buildings to support training on the F-15QA, a variant of the F-15 Eagle that also serves as the basis for the U.S. Air Force’s F-15EX Eagle II. All construction costs will be covered by Doha, and the U.S. retains full control over base security and operations. The arrangement mirrors similar deals with allies around the world, where foreign pilots train on American soil as part of broader defense cooperation agreements.
Still, the debate in Idaho underscores the tension between national security imperatives and local concerns. For some, the training facility is a symbol of international partnership and military readiness. For others, it raises uncomfortable questions about sovereignty, security, and transparency. As the dust settles, Idahoans—and Americans more broadly—are left to weigh the costs and benefits of such alliances, mindful that today’s global threats rarely respect state borders or simple narratives.
With the facility’s construction set to begin soon, all eyes will be on Idaho’s leaders to see whether they break their silence—and if so, what kind of message they’ll deliver to a state, and a nation, caught at the crossroads of local politics and global strategy.
