The Trump administration has reversed plans for a Qatari air force facility in Idaho following intense backlash from its conservative base. An initial announcement celebrating a "letter of acceptance" to build the facility was quickly walked back by officials, who now insist Qatar will not have its own base on U.S. soil. The proposed plan for Idaho's Mountain Home Air Base was intended to host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots for joint training exercises to enhance military interoperability between the two nations.
The controversy ignited on October 10 when War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the agreement alongside Qatar’s defense minister. According to USA Today, the news drew immediate and fierce condemnation from influential MAGA figures and conservative groups who opposed a foreign military presence. Prominent voices on social media framed the deal as a threat to national sovereignty. The Idaho Freedom Foundation called the plan an "unacceptable overreach," arguing that Idaho should not host foreign nationals whose loyalties may not align with state or national interests.
Faced with the growing outcry, the administration quickly changed its public messaging. Secretary Hegseth issued a "clarification" stating that Qatar "will not have their own base in the United States ‒ nor anything like a base." The reversal was finalized when Vice President JD Vance appeared on Fox News, calling reports of a Qatari base a "fake story" and "misreporting." Vance assured viewers, "We're not going to let a foreign country have an actual base on American soil," effectively ending public discussion of the originally announced facility.
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