president Donald Trump President Joe Biden blows up his withdrawal from Afghanistan, citing his wish to raise wages to the military on Thursday at addresses to U.S. service members.
Trump made comments during his speech to the troops at Al-Udaid Air Force Base in Qatar during an extended trip to the Middle East.
“It’s fully included in my 2026 budget. Maybe you don’t want to look for the country’s profits. You don’t need to take that. You’ll get a raise for each of you. A substantial salary increase,” Trump said.
“You are definitely the biggest combat power in world history. That’s right. I said it last night. I said it strong. We have the strongest army in the world. It’s not even a contest. We don’t have the best equipment, we don’t have the equipment like us, no one has any planes or missiles or anything like that,” he continued.
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President Donald Trump will arrive to address the troops on May 15, 2025 at Al Udeid Air Force Base southwest of Doha. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
“And as your commander, I’m here to say that the US military will soon become bigger, better, stronger, stronger,” he added.
Trump criticized Biden and pointed out the deaths of 13 US troops while evacuating from Kabul, Afghanistan.
Trump’s speech It was less than a day after he signed a series of agreements with Qatar Emil Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump will exchange documents at a signature ceremony in Qatar’s Amiri Diwan on Wednesday, May 14th, 2025, holding the pen given by Qatar Emil Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. (Alex Brandon/AP)
The agreement includes the purchase agreement by Qatar for Boeing Aircraft, as well as the intention and “collaboration cooperation” between Qatar and the United States.
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Al Thani said He had a “great” conversation with Trump before the signing ceremony on Wednesday, adding that the agreement has led to the relationship between the US and Qatar on “a different level.”
Farnborough International Airshow displays models of popular Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial drone vehicles. (John Keeble/Getty Images)
US relations with Doha have come a long way since 2017 when Trump accused Qatar of harboring terrorism.
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From there, Qatar became the US’s major non-nat ally under Biden in 2022, home to Aludade Air Force Base, one of the largest US Middle Eastern bases and a key hub for US Central Command.
Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
