President Donald Trump has revealed that he hopes to offer America’s world-revered military service members a pay rise.
Trump revealed the plan in an address to U.S. service members in Qatar on Thursday during his extended trip to the Middle East.
Speaking to troops at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Trump also blasted former President Joe Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“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,” Trump noted.
“We have the best equipment, nobody has equipment like us, nobody has the planes or the missiles or anything else.
“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.
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.
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 signed an intent agreement to purchase MQ-9 drone aircraft.
Al Thani said he had a “great” conversation with Trump prior to the signing ceremony on Wednesday.
He added that the agreements have elevated the U.S.-Qatar relationship to “another level.”
U.S. relations with Doha have come a long way since 2017, when Trump accused Qatar of harboring terrorists.
“The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level,” Trump said at the time.
From there, Qatar became a major non-NATO ally to the U.S. in 2022 under Biden and is home to Al Udeid Air Base, one of the U.S.’s largest Middle Eastern bases and a key hub for U.S. Central Command operations.
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