General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump 2017: 'Qatar is a funder of terrorism'- Trump DoD in 2025: 'We're building a Qatari Air Force facility in the US'
No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen @NoLieWithBTCTrump in 2017: Qatar has been a funder of terrorism at a very high level.
Trump administration in 2025: We are building a Qatari Air Force facility in the United States.
Link to tweet
Today were signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatar Emiri air force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho, Hegseth told reporters. Its just another example of our partnership.
At the end of September, Trump signed an Executive Order stating that the United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.
In a controversial move a few months earlier, Trump accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One. Democrats attempted to block funding to turn the jet into Air Force One, but Republicans rejected that effort on Thursday.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/qatari-air-force-facility-to-be-built-in-idaho-hegseth/ar-AA1Oehvc
October 2, 2025
Trump offers Qatar, which gave him a fancy plane, a NATO-like security guarantee
Qatar has apparently been on Donald Trumps mind quite a bit lately. A couple of weeks ago, for example, the president told reports, A lot of people dont understand that about Qatar, but Qatars been a great ally, adding that Qatars been a very great ally.
A day later, Trump complained again that a lot of people dont know just how great an ally Qatar has been to the U.S. A week after that, Qatar got a presidential shout-out during his address to the United Nations. And then again during a White House press conference. And then again in the Republicans remarks to U.S. generals and admirals.
In his first term, Trump slammed Qatar as a country that he said had been a funder of terrorism at a very high level. His perspective on the Middle Eastern country has apparently evolved quite a bit over eight years.
But the presidents shift has gone well beyond rhetorical praise. Politico reported:
Part of what makes the NATO charter so important is the security guarantee: An attack against any member nation is seen as an attack on every member nation.
This week, Trump decided to extend a similar guarantee to Qatar which is not a member of NATO.
Politicos report added, The unilateral creation of any Article 5-like security guarantees by a president under the Constitution, treaties must be ratified by the Senate is highly unusual.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/01/trump-promises-to-defend-qatar-in-wake-of-israeli-missile-strikes-00589638
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday accused Qatar of being a "high level" sponsor of terrorism, potentially hindering the U.S. Department of State's efforts to ease heightening tensions and a blockade of the Gulf nation by Arab states and others.
"The nation of Qatar unfortunately has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level," Trump told reporters at the White House.
"So we had a decision to make, do we take the easy road or do we finally take a hard but necessary action. We have to stop the funding of terrorism. I decided ... the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding," Trump said, adding that he helped plan the Qatar action with Arab leaders after a recent summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A senior administration official told Reuters earlier this week that the United States had no indication from the Saudis or Emiratis in Riyadh during Trump's visit last month that they would sever ties with Qatar.
https://www.reuters.com/article/world/trump-scolds-qatar-as-tillerson-seeks-to-ease-crisis-idUSKBN18Z2ZF/
New Republic: MAGA Melts Down Over Trump Giving Qatar a Military Base in U.S.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/maga-melts-down-over-trump-giving-qatar-a-military-base-in-us/ar-AA1OeBie

sinkingfeeling
(56,530 posts)jail peaceful domestic protesters in frog suits.
bigtree
(92,975 posts)...are his political enemies, or targets of his autocratic extortion.
roamer65
(37,805 posts)B.See
(6,963 posts)whose family accepted billions of dollars, and a jet airliner from the Saudis.
American soil? Not an issue for the guy who once invited the Taliban to Camp David,
and who hosted Putin at a US strategic defense military base in Alaska. Showed him around, in fact.
That's because Trump's "god" is GREEN. Everything and everyone else, a means to THAT end.
snowybirdie
(6,392 posts)This agreement was formulated by the Biden Administration. Nothing new, as we always accommodate foreign trainees when we sell them our military hardware. There's already another country at this base for the same reason. I got excited too but investigated it further. Nothing to see here. It's SOP frequently. We sell them military hardware and they pay for it and pay for their people to learn how to use it.
bigtree
(92,975 posts)...with his earlier declaration they supported terrorists; set against the fricking jet.
Also, maga is mad at him.
malaise
(290,032 posts)Free aircraft column😀