Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that China has taken control of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, the largest American military installation in the country until its evacuation in July 2021.
Speaking at the 2025 National Day of Prayer event at the White House, Trump blamed the Biden administration’s “disastrous” withdrawal for what he described as a strategic failure with global consequences. “Right now, China occupies Bagram. So sad, so crazy. One of the biggest air bases in the world, one hour away from where China makes its nuclear missiles,” Trump said.
Trump argued that Bagram’s proximity to Chinese nuclear facilities made it a critical asset the U.S. should have retained. He claimed that abandoning it emboldened adversaries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine months after the U.S. pullout.
“We lost 13 soldiers and 42 were horribly injured. That would have never happened,” Trump said, referring to the deadly August 2021 bombing during the evacuation at Kabul airport.
Trump has repeatedly slammed the Biden administration’s exit strategy, calling it “perhaps the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country.”
