Former President Donald Trump said Monday that if he retakes the White House, he would create a space National Guard — the reserve force designed to support the uniformed service created by Trump in 2019.
“One of my greatest accomplishments in my first term was the creation of the Space Force, the first new branch of the armed forces in over 70 years. That’s a big deal,” the Republican presidential candidate said in a speech to members of the National Guard Association in Detroit.
“Now that the Space Force is operational, I agree with your leadership – you absolutely want this – but I also agree that the time has come to create a Space National Guard as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Space Force,” said Trump, 78.
“As President, I will sign historic legislation creating a Space National Guard.”
Trump added that Senator Marco Rubio (Republican of Florida) recently told him about the idea: “I’m excited.”
“So we’re going to do that. The Space Force was very important – very, very important,” the 45th president said.
“When I did that, the other people came in, they wanted to finish up and they were just totally drunk.”
Trump appeared to be referring to then-White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who in 2021 mockingly compared the fate of the Space Force to a decision about the color of Air Force One.
Psaki had to clarify: “We will not reconsider the decision to create the Space Force.”
There is a political debate about whether the Space Force, which currently consists of about 14,000 members – the so-called “Guardians” – needs its own National Guard division to support tasks such as processing satellite data and ensuring America’s technological superiority.
Some states, such as California and Alaska, already have Air National Guard or Army National Guard units deployed in space, but in April, 48 governors opposed the Biden administration’s plans to forcibly relocate National Guard members’ deployment locations, arguing that doing so would undermine the states’ traditional autonomy.
Other proposals include renaming the Air National Guard the Air and Space National Guard.
According to a 2020 report from the Congressional Budget Office, the government would have to spend at least $100 million a year to maintain a 1,500-person Space National Guard, plus an additional $20 million in upfront costs to build new facilities.
Spokespeople for Vice President Kamala Harris did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on her stance on a Space National Guard.
Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, currently heads the National Space Council.
