US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has issued a clarification after conservative critics, including far-right activist Laura Loomer, condemned plans to host a Qatari air force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Speaking alongside Qatar’s Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Friday, Hegseth announced a letter of acceptance for building a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at the base.
The announcement drew immediate backlash from MAGA supporters, with Loomer accusing Qatar of funding Hamas and questioning the security of training foreign nationals on US soil. In response, Hegseth posted on X: “Qatar will not have their own base in the United States—nor anything like a base. We control the existing base, like we do with all partners.”
Loomer doubled down, writing: “Nobody wants the funders of HAMAS in America being trained to fly fighter jets on US soil. A jihadist in a suit is still a jihadi.” She added that she would not vote in 2026, calling the plan an unacceptable national security threat. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon also condemned the move, telling Newsweek: “There should never be a military base of a foreign power on the sacred soil of America.”
The Qatari embassy confirmed the facility is part of a 10-year commitment to enhance interoperability and will create American jobs. The base, home to the 366th Fighter Wing, has hosted foreign personnel since 1998, including Singaporean pilots. The facility is expected to accommodate 12 Qatari F-15 jets and around 300 personnel.
