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Former Trump White House officials criticize press secretary Jen Psaki’s comments about the Space Force, describing them as a “very bad blind spot” for one branch of the US military.
Psaki was asked at the White House press conference on Tuesday whether President Biden would retain Space Force reach during his administration.
PSAKI ACCUSED OF FUN AT THE SPACE FORCE, REFUSES TO APOLOGY
“Wow. Space Force. This is today’s plane!” Psaki said, apparently mocking the question and seeming to compare it to the one asked by a reporter two weeks ago, asking about Air Force One’s color scheme.
“It’s an interesting question,” she said after the reporter rejected the validity of the question. “I’m happy to check with our Space Force point of contact. I’m not sure who it is. I’ll find out and see if we have any updates on this.”
A former Trump official described his comments as “a very bad blind spot for one branch of the military.” The official described the Space Force as a huge priority for the Trump administration, highlighting, for example, how Russia tested anti-satellite missiles in mid-December.
General James Dickinson, commander of the US Space Command, said in a statement in December that “Russia publicly affirms that it is working to prevent the transformation of outer space into a battlefield, while continuing to militarize space by developing and commissioning – orbit and ground capabilities that seek to exploit the United States’ dependence on space systems. “
The Space Force was promulgated by Congress in December 2019 and aims to protect the United States’ special interests in space capabilities, becoming the sixth branch of the United States military.
Psaki on Tuesday night, amid criticism, took to Twitter to note Space Force’s “important work”, although the White House press secretary did not include an apology.
“We look forward to the continued work of Space Force and invite team members to come and visit us anytime in the briefing room to share an update on their important work,” she said. .
A former White House official said that the “team” Psaki speaks of are not staff members, but rather generals of the armed forces, and also includes a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
RATCLIFFE APPOINTS SPACE FORCE AS 18TH MEMBER OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
Meanwhile, last month, Fox News first reported that former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe had designated the Space Force as the 18th member of the intelligence community, in a bid to “bring down barriers ”to sharing information and helping to inform community analysis of threats in space.
Ratcliffe announced the designation of the US Space Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Enterprise, which is the intelligence component of the Space Force.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) called the designation “a once-in-a-generation event.”
The Intelligence Element of the Space Force is the first new organization to join the intelligence community since 2006, when the DEA’s Office of National Security Intelligence joined.
According to the ODNI, the move will remove barriers to information sharing and ensure Space Force leaders have access to all the information they need to be successful.
This decision also allows the intelligence community to have access to all the knowledge of the operational space domain that would help to inform its analysis of threats in space.
Fox News’ Blake Burman and Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
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