&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Would expect this from Ilhan Omar, not Trump': Laura Loomer sparks rumours of leaving Republican Party - What's the truth")
Far-right activist in the US and staunch Trump supporter Laura Loomer has slammed the US administration for reportedly handing Qatar a full military base on American soil. Loomer claimed that the move by the Trump administration is a betrayal of ‘America First’ policy of US President Donald Trump and his MAGA base. In a series of posts, she claimed that Republican party - which she is a part of - is not the one who she expected would support “terror financing” to Qatar. She said that she is drawing a line here, sparking rumours that she might quit the party. She also claimed that there is not a single Trump supporter who supports allowing Qatar to have a military base on US soil. Her statements came before US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a clarification that Qatar won't have a base America.
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"Never thought I’d see Republicans give terror financing Muslims from Qatar a MILITARY BASE on US soil so they can murder Americans... I cannot in good conscience make any excuses for the harboring of jihadis. This is where I draw the line,” Loomer wrote on X. She added, "There isn’t a single Trump supporter who supports allowing Qatar to have a military base on US soil. I don’t know who told President Trump this was a good idea, but it has made people not want to vote. This is the type of thing I would expect from a President Ilhan Omar." She also said that she won't vote in 2026. While she has not yet revealed openly if she will quit the party, the Trump administration sensed the heat and Hegseth issued a clarification.
What was Hegseth's clarification?
In a joint press conference on Friday, Hegseth along with Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani announced plans to establish a facility for the Qatari Emiri Air Force at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. This facility will host a contingent of Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots, aiming to enhance bilateral training, improve combat readiness, and strengthen interoperability between the two forces, both the leaders stated. Hegseth also highlighted the importance of this collaboration as a testament to the ongoing US-Qatar partnership.
However, bacing backlash, the Trump admin soon backtracked from the statement, and clarified that Qatar would not have its own independent base in the US. The United States retains full control over Mountain Home Air Force Base, as is standard with all partner cooperation agreements, ensuring US military command remains unchanged, he said in a statement.
