Trump Praises American Troops In Qatar: ‘Tip Of The Spear’ Against ‘Enemies Of Civilization’

President Donald Trump praised American troops as the “tip of the spear” in the fight against the “enemies of civilization” in a Thursday speech at an American military base in Qatar.

Trump made the comments to troops at the Al Udeid Air Force Base, the largest American military facility in the Middle East, before departing Qatar for the United Arab Emirates. In his speech, Trump laid out his priorities for the Middle East and promised that American troops would soon get a raise through his proposed budget bill.

“All of you are the tip of the spear, you’re the finest we have, anywhere in the world, you’re the finest we have, you’re the finest anyone has in the fight against the enemies of civilization,” Trump said. “You’re the people that are defeating chaos, combating terror, defending our interests, supporting our allies, securing our homeland, and making America incredibly proud, and you know what, making America great again.”

Trump also promised the troops that he would make the U.S. military “bigger, better, stronger, and more powerful than ever.”

“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. We have the best equipment, nobody has equipment like us, nobody has the planes or the missiles or anything else,” he said. 

Echoing his speech on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, Trump said he was focused on keeping the peace by projecting American strength.

“As president, my priority is to end conflicts, not start them — but I will never hesitate to wield American power if it’s necessary to defend the United States of America or our partners. And this is one of our great partners right here,” Trump told the troops on Thursday.

The day before his speech, Trump signed a defense agreement with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, where the country signed a letter of intent to purchase $2 billion worth of MQ-9B Reaper drones and $1 billion in counter-drone technology. At the same time, Trump has faced criticism over his acceptance of a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar.

In attendance at Thursday’s speech to the troops were comedian Theo Von and country music singer Lee Greenwood, who sang “God Bless America” before Trump took the stage.

Throughout his Middle East trip, Trump has signed defense agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, announced billions of dollars worth of business deals with both countries, and met with the president of Syria, marking the first time the leaders from the two countries have met since 2000. Trump is now headed to the United Arab Emirates to meet with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other top officials.