When former President Donald Trump chose the permanent basing of U.S. Space Command headquarters to Alabama, where he had some of his highest approval ratings, in his final week in office, he yanked the command from front-runner Colorado Springs. In so doing, he triggered a pair of government investigations that lawmakers say could ultimately doom Trump’s decision.
Where SPACECOM is based has wide-ranging implications, from U.S. efforts to confront adversaries’ hostile actions in outer space to billions of dollars in unneeded investments of taxpayer funds. Trump overruled the Air Force secretary’s advice by choosing Alabama on Jan. 13, just seven days before he left office. For now, the 45th commander in chief’s order to move the command stands, but the results of the reviews could sway his replacement or Congress to reverse it.
