In August, President Trump made the political decision to move an already up-and-running Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama.
Let’s start with what it means for your safety and the leadership of the United States.
Right now, our military capabilities in space are more critical than ever. China is working on satellites capable of dragging U.S. satellites out of orbit, while Russia is widely reported to be developing a satellite that could be nuclear-capable. This reality should send shivers down the spine of every American.
American space dominance keeps us safe, but we can’t afford to become complacent.
U.S. Space Command, which is key to these efforts, has been operating at full operational capability (FOC) in Colorado for nearly two years. The command has a mission-ready team of over a thousand service members and civilians with the necessary tools and skills to protect Americans each and every day.
The fact is: Colorado is the epicenter of all things national security and space. Our state hosts three Space Force bases—the most of any state—and the U.S. Air Force Academy, where future Guardians train to become officers. Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station and NORAD/NORTHCOM play key roles in space-based missile defense. And supporting all of these missions are the most Space Force Deltas nationwide, the highest concentration of National Guard members performing space missions, and the largest private aerospace economy per capita.
So then why in the world would Trump want to move it?
At the last minute before he left office in January 2021, Trump overruled the Air Force’s decision to select Colorado as the permanent home of U.S. Space Command. President Trump wanted to punish Colorado for not voting for him in the 2020 election, thus interjecting himself in a nonpartisan decision.
Don’t believe me? He blatantly said so on an Alabama radio show.
The next President did the right thing by letting the process continue as normal. Ultimately, after two basing processes and two formal investigations, the Department of Defense decided to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs.
In December 2023, Space Command leadership announced it had reached Full Operational Capability – much faster than expected – cementing that the decision to keep Space Command in Colorado was the right one.
Yet, in spite of that, President Trump recently decided to pull the rug out from under our military families, upend America’s military readiness, and waste billions of taxpayers’ money to move an already up-and-running Space Command to Huntsville.
Talk about “government efficiency.”
At the end of the day, this is just another example of President Trump bucking precedent and rewarding his allies at the expense of national security.
He laid it out himself plain and simple. When he announced the move, he blamed it on Colorado’s mail-in voting system. Good grief!
In Colorado, we worked with predominantly Republican clerks to pioneer Colorado’s vote-by-mail system. It’s safe, secure, and has been a blueprint for red and blue states alike.
While China and Russia are champing at the bit to win an advantage in space, it’s time for actual leadership to keep Americans safe. It puts all of us in danger to have a Commander-in-Chief who makes national security decisions based on what makes him look better or to punish people he doesn’t like.
Colorado Springs continues to remain the best place for Space Command, and we’ll continue to fight to stop this reckless decision.