President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United States is attempting to take back Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan after the base fell to the Taliban during the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal in 2021.

Trump made the comment while speaking at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the United Kingdom. The president blasted former President Joe Biden’s “total disaster” in Afghanistan, adding that during his first term in office, the Trump administration was planning on leaving the country “with dignity” and wanted to keep Bagram Air Base under U.S. control.

“We gave it to [the Taliban] for nothing,” Trump said. “We’re trying to get it back, by the way. That could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back because they need things from us. We want that base back.”

“One of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,” the president added. China has nuclear facilities in Xinjiang, an autonomous territory in northwest China that borders Afghanistan.

🚨 BREAKING: President Trump just said the U.S. is seeking to *RECLAIM* Bagram Air Base in AFGHANISTAN, where Biden botched the withdrawal. Whoa.

“That could be some breaking news. WE WANT THAT BASE BACK!”

“One of the reasons – it’s an hour away from where CHINA makes its… pic.twitter.com/gN6O8B9CkQ

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 18, 2025

Trump did not specify how exactly he would attempt to reclaim the base. Afghanistan is still under the Taliban’s control.

U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from Bagram in early July 2021, which allowed the Taliban to take it over from the Afghan government days before a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport killed more than 180 people, including 13 U.S. troops. After gaining control of the massive U.S. base, the Taliban reportedly released terrorist prisoners who were held there. As the Taliban took control of Bagram and the rest of the country, U.S. forces rushed to evacuate troops, U.S. officials, and Afghan allies.

Trump recently called the Afghanistan withdrawal the “most embarrassing” moment in U.S. history. The Taliban also confiscated billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. military equipment following Biden’s withdrawal.

Sinclair, one of the largest broadcast companies in the United States, said Wednesday night that it would air a special tribute to Charlie Kirk this Friday in the late-night time slot that Jimmy Kimmel’s show had occupied. 

The announcement came after ABC pulled Kimmel off the air in response to remarks he made about the recent assassination of Kirk in Utah last week. Kimmel’s preemption came just hours after FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned that his agency could take action against ABC affiliates airing Kimmel’s remarks, arguing they failed to serve the public interest.

“Sinclair’s ABC stations will air a special in remembrance of Charlie Kirk this Friday, during the Jimmy Kimmel Live! Timeslot,” the broadcasting company said. “The special will also air across all Sinclair stations this weekend. In addition, Sinclair is offering the special to all ABC affiliates across the country.”

Sinclair is the largest ABC affiliate group in the country and plans to keep the suspension in place until it has further talks with ABC. It has ABC affiliates in several cities, including Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Tulsa.

“Sinclair will not lift the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on our stations until formal discussions are held with ABC regarding the network’s commitment to professionalism and accountability. Sinclair also called upon Mr. Kimmel to issue a direct apology to the Kirk family. Furthermore, Sinclair asks Mr. Kimmel to make a meaningful personal donation to the Kirk Family and Turning Point USA,” the company said. 

ABC’s preemption of Kimmel’s show came as Nexstar, another major ABC affiliate owner, declared it would remove the program from its schedule following the host’s remarks about Kirk.

The comments from Kimmel that prompted the backlash included the host claiming that Kirk’s assassin was a Donald Trump supporter. Investigators say that the 22-year-old man arrested for Kirk’s killing was deeply steeped in leftist ideology and disliked the conservative commentator for his beliefs.

“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” said Kimmel.

Carr praised both Sinclair and Nexstar for their decisions to stop broadcasting Kimmel’s show.

“Broadcasters have long retained the right to not air national programs that they believe are inconsistent with the public interest, including their local communities’ values,” Carr said Thursday. “I am glad to see that many broadcasters are responding to their viewers as intended.”

Democrats have criticized ABC’s decision to remove Kimmel from the air, arguing it constitutes an attack on “free speech.”

“America is meant to be a bastion of free speech. Everybody across the political spectrum should be speaking out to stop what’s happening to Jimmy Kimmel. This is about protecting democracy,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).