Representative Riley Moore, R-W.Va., has thrown his support behind President Donald Trump’s push to regain control of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, framing the effort as a critical step to safeguard U.S. national security and counter China’s expanding regional influence.
Appearing on Newsmax’s Carl Higbie FRONTLINE on Thursday, Moore said the base’s location and the scale of American investment before the 2021 withdrawal underscore its strategic value.
“There’s no doubt this absolutely makes strategic sense,” Moore said. “It’s a tragedy that we don’t have eyes and ears there right now, considering the billions of dollars and the American lives sacrificed to secure that location in the first place.”
Bagram Air Base, once the largest U.S. military installation in Afghanistan, fell to the Taliban following the August 2021 withdrawal. Trump, who has repeatedly criticized President Joe Biden for what he called a “chaotic” exit, confirmed Thursday that negotiations are underway for the facility’s possible return.
“We gave it to them for nothing,” Trump said. “We’re trying to get it back, because they need things from us. One of the reasons we want the base back is that it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.”
Moore echoed Trump’s concerns, warning of Beijing’s growing influence. “China is the near-peer existential threat for the United States,” he stressed. “It’s something we must prioritize and deter. Reclaiming Bagram, to me, makes absolute sense.”
Analysts caution, however, that any attempt to reestablish U.S. control over Bagram would raise questions about the 2020 Doha Agreement, which mandated the withdrawal of American forces, and could reignite debate over Washington’s long-term counterterrorism posture in South Asia.
