By Seung Min Kim and Kim Chandler, The Associated Press and Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that U.S. Space Command will be relocated to Alabama, reversing a Biden-era decision to keep it at its temporary headquarters in Colorado Springs.
The long-expected decision from Trump caps a four-year tug of war between two states and opposing administrations about where to locate U.S. Space Command, an intense fight because the headquarters would be a significant boon to the local economy. Alabama and Colorado have long battled to claim Space Command, with elected officials from both states asserting their state is the better location.
“The U.S. Space Command headquarters will move to the beautiful locale of a place called Huntsville, Alabama, forever to be known from this point forward as Rocket City,” said Trump, flanked by Republican members of Alabama’s congressional delegation, from the Oval Office on Tuesday. “We had a lot of competition for this and Alabama’s getting it.”
Trump on Tuesday said his initial plans to locate the headquarters in Huntsville were “wrongfully obstructed by the Biden administration.” But he also said the fact that Colorado uses mail-in voting “played a big factor also” in moving the headquarters away from Colorado Springs.
“The problem with Colorado is that they have a very corrupt voting system,” Trump said.
Colorado has used universal mail-in voting since 2014. There have not been major issues with the practice.
Trump said Huntsville won the race for the Space Command headquarters, in part, because “they fought harder for it than anybody else.”
The decision is a slap in the face to the four Republicans in Colorado’s congressional delegation, who had been fighting to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs. It’s a particular political blow to U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, a Republican whose district includes Colorado Springs.
Democrats and Republicans in Colorado had teamed up to try to persuade Trump to keep Space Command in Colorado Springs, which has a host of other military installations.
The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce estimates that Space Command is tied to nearly 1,400 jobs in Colorado and has an annual economic impact of $1 billion. The Colorado Springs Chamber says the aerospace and defense industries account for at least 40% of the economy in Colorado Springs, employing more than 110,000 people.
In a joint statement Tuesday, all 10 members of Colorado’s congressional delegation blasting Trump’s decision.
“Today’s decision to move U.S Space Command’s headquarters out of Colorado and to Alabama will directly harm our state and the nation,” the delegation said. “We are united in fighting to reverse this decision. Bottom line — moving Space Command headquarters weakens our national security at the worst possible time.”
Gov. Jared Polis said the relocation was “the wrong decision.” Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said Trump’s decision was “deeply disappointing, not only for our city, but for our nation’s security and taxpayers.”
GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor of Alabama, said Huntsville is the “perfect place” for the headquarters and suggested it be named after Trump. And Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt, who stood next to Trump during the announcement, thanked Trump for “restoring Space Command to its rightful home.”
“The Biden administration chose to make this political,” she said. “What we want to do is put the safety and security of Americans first. We want to make sure our American war fighter is put first.”
The Associated Press reported earlier Tuesday that the president would announce the move at the White House. A Pentagon website set up to livestream the remarks described the event hours in advance as a “U.S. Space Command HQ Announcement.”
Space Command’s functions include conducting operations like enabling satellite-based navigation and troop communication and providing warning of missile launches.
Huntsville, Alabama, nicknamed Rocket City, has long been home to the Army’s Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command is also located in Huntsville, which drew its nickname because of its role in building the first rockets for the U.S. space program.
The saga stretches back to 2021, when the Air Force identified Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as the preferred location for the new U.S. Space Command. The city was picked after site visits to six states that compared factors such as infrastructure capacity, community support and costs to the Defense Department.
Then-President Joe Biden in 2023 announced Space Command would be permanently located in Colorado Springs, which had been serving as its temporary headquarters.
Biden’s Democratic administration said that keeping the command in Colorado Springs would avoid a disruption in readiness.
A review by the Defense Department inspector general was inconclusive and could not determine why Colorado was chosen over Alabama. Trump, a Republican who enjoys deep support in Alabama, had long been expected to move Space Command back to Alabama.