Donald Trump has vowed to reclaim Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, calling its 2021 abandonment a “terrible mistake”. What Trump says Bagram could offerAccording to CNN, conversations inside the Trump administration about regaining Bagram date back to March 2025. Trump himself has repeatedly called Bagram “the world’s strongest air base,” arguing that it should never have been abandoned and that its proximity to China makes it indispensable. From air base to trophyIn the years that followed, the Taliban turned Bagram into a propaganda stage. Shifting US Air Force doctrineEven the US Air Force has signaled a move away from the very model Bagram represents.