Donald Trump Vows to Create ‘Space National Guard’

During remarks to the National Guard Association Monday afternoon, former President Donald Trump vowed to create a “Space National Guard” if elected to a second term.
The Republican nominee for president made the remarks in Detroit in front of thousands of officers, spouses and guests at the National Guard’s General Conference and Exhibition.
The U.S. Space Force was officially established on December 20, 2019, by the former president, making it the newest branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and the first new military service since 1947.The Space Force operates under the Department of the Air Force in a similar fashion to how the Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy.
“One of my proudest achievements in my first term was to create Space Force, the first new branch of the Armed Forces in over 70 years…Now that Space Force is up and running, I agree with your leadership that the time has come to create a Space National Guard as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Space Force,” Trump said during his remarks.
Newsweek emailed the Trump and Harris campaigns regarding Trump’s remarks, along with media contacts for Space Force, The National Guard and the Department of Defense.
The Space Force was formed in response to the growing recognition that space is a critical domain for national security. Its mission is to protect U.S. and allied interests in space, deter aggression, and conduct space operations. As of Fiscal Year 2023, the Space Force has more than 14,000 military and civilian Guardians.
The Space Force consolidates various space-related functions from across the Department of Defense into a unified service. This includes satellite acquisition, budget management and workforce organization.
Beyond its military role, the Space Force also plays a part in everyday civilian life. Space capabilities, such as satellite communications and GPS, are integral to global financial networks, international commerce and critical infrastructure systems. The Space Force seeks to ensure that these capabilities remain secure and accessible, safeguarding both national security and economic prosperity. As potential adversaries develop more sophisticated threats to space assets, the Space Force plays an increasingly key role in protecting and defending American interests in space.
China, for example, has added over 400 satellites in the past two years, from which more than half have the capability to track objects on Earth, Major General Gregory J. Gagnon, the Space Force’s deputy chief of space operations for intelligence, said at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies on May 2.
“They will now—in a way that we’re not comfortable talking about in America—they will be inside a rapidly expanding weapons engagement zone,” Gagnon added.
Gagnon explained that China can now track U.S. military assets even when they are mobile, challenging U.S. monopoly on long-range targeting. The data collected by China’s satellites can provide a precise location of military vessels on the move at sea, making their subsequent targeting during conflict easier, according to Gagnon.
“Few countries have that advantage,” Gagnon said.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more information.
Update: 8/26/24, 4:08 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with more information.