Laura Loomer erupted on social media Friday, threatening to abandon the GOP and “not vote” in the 2026 midterms over what she called the party’s “Islamification” of the United States.
Loomer, a far-right activist, accused the Donald Trump administration of betraying its base by allowing Qatar to establish a “military base on US soil,” calling it “an abomination” and urging “the people of Idaho” to “revolt.”
The U.S military has said it will move forward with plans to build an Air Force training facility for Qatari pilots in Idaho.
Newsweek has contacted the White House, the Department of Defense as well as the Qatari Embassy in the U.S. for comment via email outside of regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Loomer’s tirade underscores growing tension within Trump’s base, where some of his most hard-line supporters see recent foreign policy moves as a betrayal of “America First” principles.
What To Know
Loomer also said “there isn’t a single Trump supporter who supports allowing Qatar to have a military base on US soil,” and suggested that the decision “made people not want to vote,” comparing it to something she “would expect from a President Ilhan Omar,” referring to the
She also issued a list of demands for any future candidates seeking her endorsement, including calls to “ban Muslims from holding political office,” designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, “ban Sharia Law,” and outlaw “the Burqa and Hijab.” Loomer wrote, “You are not worthy of my support unless you agree with everything listed above. I’m done with the GOP islamifying my country.”
While reaffirming her past loyalty to Trump—“I proudly voted for him 3 times”—Loomer warned that if he “allows Islam to gain ground in our country,” his achievements “will be wiped out by genocidal Muslims who seek to impose Sharia Law in America and destroy the West.”
Although Loomer has no official role in the Trump administration, her online outbursts have been influential. Past tirades have preceded the removals of National Security Council staffers, Dr. Vinay Prasad—the FDA’s vaccine chief—and Gen. Tim Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency.
Her latest outburst comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said a facility will be established in the Mountain Home Air Force base in Idaho where Qatari pilots will be trained to fly F-15 fighter jets.
The Pentagon chief did not say how many Qatari F-15s would be based at the Idaho facility, and when it would become operational.
Qatar has said that it will not have a base on U.S. soil, and the facility, for which Doha will pay for construction costs, will “maintain a dedicated facility within an existing U.S. air base.”
The country added that the project will create hundreds of jobs for Americans and noted that the planning began several years ago and it received local approval.
The U.S. and Qatar have a long-standing military partnership. Qatar hosts the U.S. military’s largest base in the Middle East, Al Udeid Air Base, which was targeted earlier this year by Tehran in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The relationship also includes high-profile gestures such as Qatar offering a $400 million jumbo jet to President Trump for use as Air Force One.
Qatar’s involvement with U.S. military aviation predates these developments. In 2020, the U.S. Air Force signed a deal to sell more than 35 F-15 fighter jets to Qatar. An Air Force environmental study in 2022 noted plans at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho to build a facility to host 12 Qatari F-15 jets and roughly 300 Qatari and U.S. personnel, according to The Associated Press.
Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order vowing to defend Qatar by all available means, including U.S. military action.
What People Are Saying
Laura Loomer said on X: “I did not vote for the US to be turned into a Muslim country. I did not vote for jihadi ambassadors. I did not vote for Muslim coalitions in Michigan. I did not vote for Qatari lobbyists to work in the West Wing. I didn’t vote for Sharia Law. I’m not voting in 2026!”
In another post, she wrote: “If the GOP continues to Islamify our country and continues to allow funders of Islamic terrorism from Qatar to come into our country when they have a documented history of funding Islamic terror, I am not voting in 2026 and won’t be able to encourage others to vote either. I didn’t vote for the Islamification of my country. If the GOP is going to allow Muslims to have military bases on US soil when they know these Qataris are funding HAMAS and the Muslim Brotherhood, then voting in 2026 is a waste of time.”
Highlighting the partnership, Secretary of the Air Force Pete Hegseth told reporters, “It’s just another example of our partnership,” praising Qatar’s role in mediating a Gaza ceasefire and hostage return deal alongside Egypt and Turkey. He added, “I’m proud that today we’re signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force Facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho” to “enhance our combined training, increase lethality, interoperability.” Hegseth concluded, “You can count on us.”
A spokesman for the Qatari Embassy in Washington said in a statement posted on X: “This will not be a Qatari air base. Rather, Qatar has made an initial 10-year commitment to construct and maintain a dedicated facility within an existing US air base, intended for advanced training and to enhance interoperability in defending and advancing our shared interests around the world.”
What Happens Next
The planned construction of a Qatari Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho is set to commence, with Qatar funding the project.