Published on: Oct 11, 2025 04:06 am IST
Pete Hegseth issued an ‘important clarification’ on the Qatar-US deal that would allow Doha to train pilots in Idaho
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued an ‘important clarification’ on the Qatar-US deal that would allow Doha to train pilots in Idaho after sudden backlash from key MAGA commentators, notably Laura Loomer. Earlier on Friday, Hegseth met with Qatar’s defense minister and announced that a facility would be built at Mountain Home Air Force Base to host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance ‘our combined training, increase the lethality, interoperability’.
Laura Loomer slams Hegseth, Trump
Trump ally Laura Loomer was quick to slam the Trump administration. She called the plan ‘an abomination’ and accused the Qataris of being associated with Islamic terror organizations.
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“No foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries,” Loomer wrote in a post on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
Qatar would pay for the construction of the new facility, a defense official told the Associated Press.
Loomer also criticized that decision, writing “I don’t want to die for Qatar. Do you?” on social media. However, she was not alone.
Hegseth clarifies, Loomer responds
Hegseth soon clarified. “The U.S. military has a long-standing partnership w/ Qatar, including today’s announced cooperation w/ F-15QA aircraft. However, to be clear, 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,” he tweeted.
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Laura Loomer responded to Hegseth’s tweet, saying: “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. It’s a threat to our national security.”
The White House and Qatar’s defense ministry have yet to address the criticism. It is unclear how the Idaho plan would pan out.
