US troops could return to base in Afghanistan, says Trump

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

61% : Trump floated the idea during a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he wrapped up a state visit to the UK and tied it to the need for the US to counter its top rival, China.
42% : While Trump described his call for the US military to reestablish a position in Afghanistan as "breaking news," the Republican president has previously raised the idea.
36% : During his first presidency, Trump set the terms for the US withdrawal by negotiating a deal with the Taliban.
36% : But Trump hinted that the Taliban, who have struggled with an economic crisis, international legitimacy, internal rifts and rival militant groups since their return to power in 2021, could be game to allow the US military to return.
34% : "We're trying to get it back because they need things from us," Trump said of the Taliban.
33% : "But one of the reasons we want that base is, as you know, it's an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons," Trump said.
31% : "He would have never done what he did, except that he didn't respect the leadership of the United States," Trump said, speaking of Putin.
25% : "We're trying to get it back," Trump said of the base in an aside to a question about ending Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
24% : Those criticisms have persisted into the present day, including as recently as last week, when Trump claimed the move emboldened Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine in February 2022.
16% : Biden's Republican detractors, including Trump, seized on it as a signal moment in a failed presidency.
13% : We gave it to them for nothing." Asked again about the proposal hours later on Air Force One, Trump offered no details but again bashed Biden for "gross incompetence" and said the base should have "never been given back.

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