President Donald Trump blasted President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and cited his wish to troops a pay raise in an address to U.S. service members on Thursday.
Trump made the comments during an address to troops at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during his extended trip to the Middle East.
“My 2026 budget includes across the board – maybe you don’t want to look for the good of the country, you don’t have to take it – pay raises for each and every one of you. Substantial pay raises,” Trump said.
“You are without a doubt the greatest fighting force in the history of the world. That’s the way it is. I said it last night. I said it’s strong. We have the strongest military in the world. It’s not even a contest. We have the best equipment, nobody has equipment like us, nobody has the planes or the missiles or anything else,” he continued.
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President Donald Trump arrives to address troops at the Al-Udeid air base southwest of Doha on May 15, 2025. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
“And as your commander-in-chief, I’m here to say that America’s military will soon be bigger, better, stronger and more powerful than ever,” he added.
Trump went on to criticize Biden, noting the deaths of 13 U.S. troops during the evacuation from Kabul, Afghanistan.
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Trump’s speech came less than a day after he on Wednesday signed a series of agreements with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar.
President Donald Trump holds up a pen given by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as they exchange documents during a signing ceremony at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Alex Brandon/AP)
The agreements involved a purchasing agreement by Qatar for Boeing aircraft, as well as letters of intent and “joint cooperation” between Qatar and the U.S. The emir also…
