Trump suggests US troops could return to base in Afghanistan, citing its proximity to rival China.

President Donald Trump has publicly suggested that U.S. Troops could return to the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, citing the country's proximity to China as a strategic reason.

Trump suggests US troops could return to base in Afghanistan, citing its proximity to rival China -newspressnow.com
Source: newspressnow.com

At a glance

Key Evidence

Verified September 18, 2025

The Associated Press article explicitly states Trump suggested working to reestablish a U.S. Presence at Bagram Air Base citing China proximity.apnews.com
NPR and other outlets echo this, noting the timing as four years after the U.S. Withdrawal and emphasizing the strategic concern about China.npr.org
Multiple independent news organizations report the same claim on the same date, reinforcing its credibility.newspressnow.com news4jax.com

The reporting

What the Evidence Shows

Multiple reputable news sources from September 18, 2025, report that former President Donald Trump indicated he is working toward reestablishing a U.S. Military presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. This suggestion comes approximately four years after the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan, which left the base under Taliban control.

Trump's rationale for considering a return includes Afghanistan's geographic proximity to China, framing it as a strategic move in relation to U.S. -China rivalry. The reports consistently describe this as a recent statement or suggestion by Trump rather than an official policy action or confirmed military deployment.

There is no indication from these sources that troops have already been redeployed; rather, it is presented as a proposal or intention.

Primary trail