U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks about Javelin anti-tank missiles next to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi during a press conference about deploying federal law enforcement agents in Washington to bolster the local police presence, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House, in Washington D.C., U.S., August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Steve Bannon, former White House strategist and prominent MAGA figure, sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s administration after it approved a deal to allow Qatar to build a facility at a U.S. Air Force base in Idaho.

On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the project, to be located at Mountain Home Air Force Base, during a joint press event with Qatari officials.

The facility will host Qatari F‑15 aircraft and pilots, with the goal of joint training, increasing “lethality” and reinforcing bilateral military ties.

During a podcast on Real News Network Sunday, Bannon condemned the plan, saying, “This whole thing is so screwed up," in remarks highlighted by the Daily Mail.

He continued: "I have no idea what's going on, and I'm sure we'll find out more... This is part of the price we're paying for the Israel First Crowd... and others that had support for [Benjamin] Netanyahu."

He argued that it violates “America First” principles by allowing a foreign power even limited access to U.S. soil.

Following MAGA backlash, Hegseth and other administration officials insisted on Friday that the arrangement does not amount to a Qatari military base. Rather, the facility will be built within the existing U.S. base, and full operational control will remain with the U.S. military.

“Important clarification: 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," the secretary wrote in a post on the social platform hours after he made the announcement last week.

The plan drew fire from other MAGA-aligned critics as well.

Right-wing activist Laura Loomer called the agreement “an abomination,” saying, “No foreign country should have a military base on U.S. soil, especially Islamic countries.”

Supporters of the administration maintain the proposal is consistent with long‑standing international training partnerships, pointing out that foreign militaries already train on U.S. bases in similar setups.