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Trump Is Facing a MAGA Backlash for Qatari Air Force Facility Plan

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Trump Is Facing a MAGA Backlash for Qatari Air Force Facility Plan


The Trump Administration is facing backlash from the president’s own supporters following the announcement that a new Qatari air force facility would be built in Idaho.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the plan to build a “Qatar Emiri Air Force facility” at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho. The facility will be paid for by Qatar and will be used by the country to train its pilots to fly F-15 fighter jets, which it is buying from the U.S.

The plan received quick pushback from several high-profile MAGA influencers and proponents of President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda. 

Read More: Trump Brokers $96 Billion Boeing Deal in Qatar, Signaling a New Era of Aviation Diplomacy

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Steve Bannon, White House chief strategist during Trump’s first term, told Newsweek that there “should never be a military base of a foreign power on the sacred soil of America.”

The deal also came under fire from MAGA stalwart and self-described Islamaphobe Laura Loomer, who holds considerable influence in the White House and has claimed credit for several hirings and firings of high-level officials in the Trump Administration. 

“Never thought I’d see Republicans give terror financing Muslims from Qatar a MILITARY BASE on US soil so they can murder Americans,” Loomer wrote on X Friday. The deal does not involve giving Qatar a military base, but rather a facility within a U.S. base.

“The Qatari influence on the Trump administration is totally out of control,” Loomer said in a separate post. “It’s inappropriate to let Qatari’s have an Air Force base on US soil.”

Loomer also shared a clip of Trump speaking in 2017 in which he accused Qatar of historically funding terrorism “at a very high level.”

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Loomer has called herself a “proud Islamaphobe” and said 9/11 was an “inside job.” Earlier this year, she successfully campaigned for the Trump Administration to end “lifesaving” medical visas for Palestinians impacted by the war in Gaza.

The deal also drew criticism from conservatives outside of the MAGA base.

Noah Rothman, writer for conservative news organization The National Review, asked, “What’s the strategic rationale for this? Either ours or Qatar’s?”

“You could rattle off all the problems/risks we’re inviting easily. But I have no idea what the steelman case for this would be? I’m sure we don’t need to import any more Qatari covert assets into this country,” he wrote on X. 

Republican political consultant and commentator Mike Madrid said on X: “Joe Biden was criticized for a Chinese balloon flying over our airspace. They’re giving Qatar an entire f’ing air base.” 

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In a clarifying social media post late Friday, Hegseth said that the airbase would still be under U.S. jurisdiction, and that the Qatari air force would not have its own base.

When reached for comment by TIME regarding the conservative pushback, the Department of Defense redirected to Hegseth’s social media post. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Many have noted that the deal with Qatar bears similarities to those the U.S. has made with other countries. The German air force still maintains a tactical training command in Texas after decades in New Mexico, and more than 1,000 Singaporean military troops train in the U.S. each year. Pilots from several other NATO allies also train in the U.S. 

But President Donald Trump’s relationship with Qatar has come under scrutiny in recent months following a string of deals both in and outside of government. 

In April, the Trump family company struck a deal to build a luxury golf resort in Qatar. The next month, Trump unveiled his plan to accept a luxury Boeing jet as a gift from the Qatari government, claiming on Truth Social that the “free” gift would save U.S. money and that “only a FOOL would not accept” the gift.

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That move received blowback from Republicans and Democrats alike. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the move the “kind of thing that even Putin would give a double take,” and Republican lawmakers also aired out national security concerns over the $400 million plane.

“He’s going to turn Air Force One into Bribe Force One,” Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts told TIME in May.

The Qatari deal follows the nation’s role, along with the U.S. and Egypt, as a mediator in peace talks that led to the newly enacted Israel-Hamas peace deal and ceasefire. In accordance with the first phase of the deal, Israel pulled back its forces in the Gaza Strip to agreed-upon lines on Friday, and Hamas is now expected to release the remaining 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed to be alive. The U.S. plans to send 200 troops to Israel to monitor the deal.

Read More: Israel Pulls Back Troops as Gaza Ceasefire Takes Effect

“No one other than President Trump could have achieved the peace—what we believe will be a lasting peace—in Gaza, and Qatar played a substantial role from the beginning, working with our folks to make sure that came about,” Hegseth said during the announcement of the air base in Idaho.

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Viral Idaho Domino’s pizza driver ‘Dan the Man’ retires after strangers raise $170K for his act of kindness

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Viral Idaho Domino’s pizza driver ‘Dan the Man’ retires after strangers raise 0K for his act of kindness


An Idaho Domino’s delivery worker whose small act of kindness went viral has retired after kind strangers helped raise more than $170,000.

Dan Simpson, 68, known locally as “Dan the Man,” said the surprise windfall allowed him to step away from years of grinding work from his job with the pizza chain in Boise, Idaho, earlier than planned.

“I got up this morning … and I checked my bank account and there was $163,000, what a retirement gift that was,” Simpson told KTVB Idaho on Friday. The donations have now hit $171,375.

Idaho Domino’s delivery worker Dan Simpson, 68, has retired after kind strangers helped raise more than $170,000. 11 Alive

Simpson shot to internet fame in March after a family’s doorbell camera captured him telling a customer he had bought their Diet Cokes with his own money when the store ran out during his delivery.

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“Oh, you don’t need to. It’s a good tip,” he told customer Brian Wilson, who offered to reimburse him for the beverage.

The video spread quickly online after Wilson posted it on TikTok, drawing millions of views and prompting him to launch a GoFundMe campaign that far exceeded its original goal.

“What Dan didn’t know is that my wife and I are both visually impaired, so running out to the store for a ‘quick’ pickup is not something that is simple or easy for us,” Wilson told the Idaho Statesman at the time.

“What may have seemed like a tiny inconvenience to solve on his end actually made a huge difference on ours.”

Simpson went viral after a doorbell camera showed him saying he bought a customer’s Diet Cokes when the store ran out. 11 Alive

Longtime delivery driver Simpson, who also worked for the Idaho Department of Agriculture, said he’s now ready for a slower pace.

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“I’m ready for normal again,” he told KTVB Idaho. “I got up today thinking, well, I’ll never get another phone call for an interview.”

Instead of splurging on his funds, Simpson said he plans to keep things simple and “buy a decent van.”

He hopes to travel back roads, take photographs and possibly head to the coast.

Simpson also spoke openly about his past, including struggles with addiction and time in prison.

“I got in a lot of trouble with drinking and drugs,” he said. “When I got out, I said, ‘That’s it.’ I knew I’d never drink again.”

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“I’m ready for normal again,” Simpson said. “I got up today thinking I’ll never get another phone call for an interview.” 11 Alive

He said he has been sober for nearly 24 years and worked multiple jobs after his release.

“Ever since I stepped out of prison, I’ve basically worked two jobs and worked hard and tried to do the right thing,” he said.

Now financially stable, Simpson said he wants to help others dealing with addiction.

“Maybe get them grounded in something that doesn’t make drugs and alcohol necessary in their life,” he said.

Despite retiring, he plans to keep delivering pizzas on weekends.

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“So thank you, Boise. Thank you, Treasure Valley,” Simpson said. “You made my life quite a little bit easier.”





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Six transgender residents sue Idaho over strict new bathroom ban – East Idaho News

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Six transgender residents sue Idaho over strict new bathroom ban – East Idaho News


FILE – The Idaho Statehouse is seen at sunrise in Boise, Idaho, April 20, 2021. | (AP Photo/Keith Ridler, File)

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Six transgender Idaho residents are suing the state in federal court, asking a federal judge to declare a strict new bathroom ban unconstitutional.

The law, which goes into effect in July, is the strictest bathroom ban in the nation, subjecting people to time behind bars if they knowingly enter a bathroom, locker room or changing area that does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth — even if the bathroom is in a privately owned business. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and sentenced to a year in jail for a first offense, or a felony with up to five years in prison for a second offense.

The plaintiffs, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal, say the law forces them to either stay at home or risk harassment, assault or arrest when using public restrooms.

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“I’ve been enjoying life as a man and using the men’s restrooms hasn’t been a big deal,” Diego Fable, one of the plaintiffs, said in a news release. “But this law would force me to use the women’s facilities, and doing so would only invite suspicion, questions, and raised eyebrows. I would have to face tough choices every time I leave my home: Do I know the restroom situation when I go out to eat with my friends? Do I know the restrooms available when I go to public parks to go birding? What do I do while I’m at work all day?”

Republican Sen. Ben Toews, one of the sponsors of the legislation behind the law, said in March that the law was needed to protect women and children. He suggested that transgender people could simply find and use a single-occupancy gender -neutral restroom if they wanted.

Few gender-neutral restrooms available

But in the lawsuit, Fable said the only restrooms available at his work, local grocery stores and some restaurants, conference centers and gas stations are multi-occupancy gendered facilities. Other people also perceive Fable as a man, according to the lawsuit — and he is worried he will face violence if he goes into a women’s restroom facility as required by the new law.

“Ultimately, complying with this law would be extremely isolating,” Fable said. “The only safe option truly available is to just stay home –- or leave the state entirely, leaving my treasured friends and community behind.”

The other plaintiffs expressed similar concerns. Peter Poe is a transgender man with a beard, and said using a women’s restroom would be disruptive. Amelia Milette, a transgender woman, says her job requires her to assist clients at their own offices, and most of those offices only do not have gender-neutral restrooms. She said she will have to limit her food and liquid consumption to reduce the need to use the restroom in public places if the law goes into effect.

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At least 19 states, including Idaho, already have laws barring transgender people from using bathrooms and changing rooms that align with their gender in schools and, in some cases, other public places. The LGBTQ+ advocacy organization Movement Advancement Project’s tracking of the laws shows that three other states — Florida, Kansas and Utah — have made it a criminal offense in some circumstances to violate the bathroom laws.

Idaho’s law applies broadly to private businesses

But none of the others apply as broadly to private businesses as the Idaho law, which covers any “place of public accommodation,” meaning any business or facility that serves the public. The legislation includes nine exceptions for situations like performing janitorial work, responding to emergencies, helping children or cases when someone has “dire need” of a restroom.

The plaintiffs say the ban will cause emotional harm, exacerbate gender dysphoria and could lead to medical problems like kidney and urinary tract infections caused by being forced to avoid using restrooms. They contend the law is overly vague, that it discriminates based on sex and transgender status, and that it violates their constitutional right to privacy because it will force them to disclose their transgender status.

“This law is a dangerous and discriminatory effort to push transgender people out of public life,” said Barbara Schwabauer, senior staff attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project.

Schwabauer said they would try to have the law completely blocked. “If you cannot use the restroom at work, you cannot go to work. If you cannot use the restroom at school, you cannot go to school,” she said.

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Attorney General Raúl Labrador is named as a defendant in the case along with multiple county prosecutors.

“We look forward to defending the law,” Labrador’s office said in an email to The Associated Press.

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Today in History: May 2, carbon monoxide from Idaho mine fire kills 91

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Today in History: May 2, carbon monoxide from Idaho mine fire kills 91


Today is Saturday, May 2, the 122nd day of 2026. There are 243 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On May 2, 1972, a fire at the Sunshine silver mine in Kellogg, Idaho, claimed the lives of 91 miners who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Also on this date:

In 1863, during the Civil War, Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was accidentally wounded by his own men at Chancellorsville, Virginia; he died eight days later.



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