On September 18, 2025, President Donald Trump reignited debate over America’s role in Afghanistan, publicly declaring his administration’s intent to regain control of Bagram Air Base—once the epicenter of U.S. military might in the region. Speaking alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump’s remarks marked the first time he openly discussed efforts to reclaim the base, which has been under Taliban control since the chaotic U.S. withdrawal in 2021. As the world parsed his words, questions swirled: Is the U.S. truly preparing to send troops back to Afghanistan? And what’s driving this sudden urgency?
“We gave it to (the Taliban) for nothing,” Trump said at the joint press conference, referencing the base’s loss during the Biden administration. “It’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. We’re trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back.” According to CNN, the discussions about returning Bagram to U.S. control began as far back as March 2025, though details remain murky.
Trump’s renewed focus on Bagram is rooted in the base’s strategic value. Located just an hour north of Kabul and less than 500 miles from the Chinese border, Bagram is seen by Trump and his national security team as a critical asset for monitoring China’s military activities, particularly its nuclear weapons program. “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 reiterated, emphasizing the base’s proximity to a key rival. The former president also highlighted Bagram’s potential for counterterrorism operations against ISIS, access to Afghanistan’s rare earth elements and mining sector, and even the possibility of reopening a U.S. diplomatic facility in the region.
For nearly two decades, Bagram served as the beating heart of America’s war in Afghanistan. The sprawling airfield hosted thousands of troops, massive aircraft, and acted as the nerve center for military operations across the country. When the last U.S. troops departed in July 2021, they left behind a base stripped of nearly 900 C-17 cargo loads of equipment and destroyed about 16,000 pieces of gear, according to U.S. Central Command. The Taliban swiftly seized the empty compound, a move that Trump has repeatedly criticized as a strategic blunder.
“We were going to leave Afghanistan, but we were going to leave it with strength and dignity. We were going to keep Bagram Air Base—one of the biggest air bases in the world. We gave it to them for nothing,” Trump said, echoing a refrain that has become central to his critique of President Biden’s withdrawal strategy. He even described the base’s runway in typically grandiose terms: “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.”
Yet, for all the rhetoric, there’s little clarity on what concrete steps—if any—the U.S. government is taking to reclaim Bagram. Both CNN and other major outlets report that while discussions have occurred within Trump’s circle since March, neither the White House nor the Pentagon has outlined a public plan or timeline for reestablishing an American presence at the base. A White House spokesperson declined to comment when asked about any ongoing negotiations or military planning.
Trump’s remarks also drew attention to the complex web of leverage and diplomacy (or lack thereof) between the U.S. and the Taliban. Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan has faced a severe economic crisis, widespread poverty, and a lack of international recognition. Trump believes these vulnerabilities could be used to pressure the Taliban into returning Bagram to U.S. control. “We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us,” he asserted, hinting at possible negotiations or quid pro quo arrangements.
Despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties, the U.S. and Taliban have engaged in limited dialogue, most notably around the release of an American hostage in March 2025. The Taliban’s willingness to negotiate in that instance, some analysts suggest, could signal an opening for further talks—though the stakes involved in ceding control of Bagram are exponentially higher.
Trump’s public campaign to retake Bagram also serves a political purpose, providing fresh ammunition for his ongoing critique of President Biden’s foreign policy. The collapse of the U.S.-backed Afghan government and the harrowing images from Kabul’s airport in August 2021—where a suicide bombing killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 Afghans—have haunted Biden’s presidency. Trump and his Republican allies have seized on these events as evidence of what they call Biden’s weak leadership. “They just went through the Afghanistan total disaster for no reason whatsoever,” Trump said, “We were going to leave Afghanistan, but we were going to leave it with strength and dignity.”
At the heart of the controversy is a debate over the terms of the original U.S. withdrawal. Trump’s administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban to end America’s 20-year involvement in Afghanistan, but the final exit occurred under Biden’s watch. Trump has repeatedly contended that his plan would have preserved America’s strategic interests by retaining Bagram, even as U.S. forces left the rest of the country. Biden’s supporters, meanwhile, argue that Trump’s deal set the stage for the rapid Taliban takeover and that the chaotic withdrawal was, in many ways, inevitable given the circumstances.
Beyond the politics and the finger-pointing, there are real questions about the feasibility of regaining Bagram. The Taliban, emboldened by their victory and wary of foreign intervention, are unlikely to relinquish the base without significant concessions. Afghanistan’s internal instability, ongoing violence with rival militant groups, and the absence of a recognized government further complicate any potential deal. Moreover, the specter of renewed U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan raises difficult questions for a war-weary American public and a global community still grappling with the consequences of two decades of conflict.
Still, Trump’s comments have ensured that Bagram—and by extension, America’s unfinished business in Afghanistan—remains in the spotlight. Whether his administration’s efforts will amount to more than rhetoric is unclear. What is certain is that the legacy of the U.S. withdrawal, the fate of Bagram Air Base, and the broader struggle for influence in Central Asia will continue to shape American foreign policy debates for years to come.
For now, as officials in Washington weigh their options and the world watches closely, Bagram stands as a symbol—of lost opportunity, enduring rivalry, and the complex realities of power in a changing world.