The president says he wants to reclaim a former U.S. base in Afghanistan. The Taliban apparently has different ideas.
As Trump talks about reclaiming a former U.S. base in Afghanistan, spare a thought for the voters who convinced themselves that Trump was the candidate of foreign policy restraint and isolationism.
Those voters did not choose wisely. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-09-19T12:54:08.215Z
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-eyeing-return-afghanistan-says-us-trying-get-back-bagram-airbase-rcna232372
Around this time four years ago, as Donald Trump watched in frustration as Joe Biden ended the war in Afghanistan — a goal the Republican had wanted to complete, but didn’t — the then-former president suggested it might be a good idea to send U.S. troops back into the country......
Years later, Trump is back in the White House, and he’s still talking about going back into Afghanistan. NBC News reported:
Trump said that the U.S. was ‘trying’ to get back Bagram Airbase, a former U.S. military base in Afghanistan. He did not provide details or what it would mean for U.S. troops, who left Afghanistan in 2021 during a widely criticized withdrawal.
Speaking to reporters at an event in England, Trump said of Bagram, “We’re trying to get it back, by the way. OK, 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.”
He didn’t appear to be kidding.
Trump: Bagram, one of the biggest air bases, we gave to them for nothing. We are trying to get it back, that could be breaking news. They need things from us.
— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) 2025-09-18T18:55:57.993Z
The Taliban, for what it’s worth, made clear soon after that it’s not willing to return the base to American control, and it’s difficult to imagine the White House changing Taliban leaders’ minds.
.....Five years later, however, Trump has launched deadly military strikes on civilian boats in international waters. And launched preemptive military strikes on targets in Iran. And initiated a bombing campaign in Yemen. And announced his desire to annex Canada, Greenland, the Panama Canal and the Gaza Strip. And directed the Pentagon to target drug cartels in Mexico.
And is now once again focusing on Afghanistan.
If you voted for Trump because you expected restraint on foreign policy and the use of military force abroad, I have some awful news for you.
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