Trump: "Bad Things Will Happen if Afghanistan Doesn't Return Bagram Air Base"

Regarding the budget bill: "I want to meet with Democrats, but I don't think it will be effective... I will meet with about 20 leaders at the UN General Assembly."

President Trump (Reuters = Yonhap News) U.S. President Donald Trump is seen getting out of his vehicle to inspect the construction site of the White House banquet hall on the 20th (local time). On this weekend, President Trump also visited a golf club in Sterling, Virginia. 2025.9.25

U.S. President Donald Trump on the 20th (local time) reiterated his call for Afghanistan to return the Bagram Air Base to the United States.

Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social, "Bad things will happen if Afghanistan does not return the Bagram Air Base to the United States, which built it."

This is a reaffirmation of his intention to reclaim the Bagram base, following his statement at a press conference after the U.S.-UK summit on the 18th: "We are working to get the Bagram Air Base back from Afghanistan."

At the time, President Trump said, "One of the reasons we want the (Bagram) base is because it is an hour away from where China is making nuclear weapons."

The Bagram base is located about 40-50 km north of the Afghan capital and was a key U.S. military stronghold during the 20-year war in Afghanistan that began in 2001.

The United States completely withdrew from Afghanistan during the administration of former President Joe Biden in 2021, leaving behind over 9 trillion won worth of weapons. The base has been under the control of the Taliban, who seized power after overthrowing the Afghan government forces shortly after the sudden U.S. withdrawal in 2021.

On his way to an external dinner on the same day, President Trump also told reporters at the White House, "We want the Bagram base back immediately. If they don't, you'll see what I do."

When asked if U.S. troops could be deployed to retrieve the Bagram base, he only replied, "We won't comment on that."

Regarding the request from the Democratic leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives for a meeting concerning the government budget bill, President Trump said, "Yes," but criticized them, saying, "They don't care about crime and they want men to continue participating in women's sports. They don't change."

He added, "I would like to meet them, but I don't think it will be effective."

Regarding his attendance at the UN General Assembly, President Trump stated, "I will meet with many leaders," and that he is scheduled to meet with about 20 people. President Trump is scheduled to travel to New York on the 22nd and deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly on the 23rd.

When asked if the government had pressured ABC to stop "Jimmy Kimmel Live," President Trump said, "Absolutely not. I think Kimmel is terrible. His talent (or lack thereof) is what's causing the show to be canceled."

Kimmel drew strong backlash from conservatives after he said, "The MAGA gang is desperately trying to distance themselves from the suspect in the murder of Charlie Kirk, the head of a youth conservative group, saying he wasn't one of them."

Brendan Carr, a commissioner at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), had demanded that the broadcast be halted, and ABC subsequently suspended the program indefinitely. Carr had also stated that broadcast licenses could be revoked depending on the program's content.

Regarding the revocation of broadcast licenses, President Trump said, "If a broadcaster is not honest, especially if 97% of their reporting is only negative about you, which is a ridiculous number, I think that could be a reason for (revocation)." Yonhap News