A renewed commitment to the Moon, Mars, and American leadership can define the next great era of national achievement.
With President Trump and Jared Isaacman pointing the way, the United States has a chance to lead humanity beyond Earth once again.
After decades of drift, America is finally preparing to reclaim its place at the forefront of space exploration.
For the first time in 50 years, Americans are traveling to the Moon and beyond.
No one should understate the importance of this decision to venture into the solar system beyond near-Earth orbit.
The recent announcements about the Moon, Mars, and beyond by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and the statements and executive orders of President Donald J. Trump are clear signals that America is back on track to carry freedom into space.
This is an important, indeed vital shift from the policies of the last half-century.
America met President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to go to the Moon by the end of the ‘60s — with landings beginning in 1969 and continuing through 1972. Then, the country sadly turned its back on the Moon and settled into a focus on low Earth orbit for a variety of commercial, national security, and scientific activities. During that half-century, we learned an amazing amount about how to operate close to the Earth, and our lives are impacted every minute of every day by these activities. For example, you would not have a cell phone in your pocket were it not for our innovations in low Earth orbit.
However, after the last American left the Moon in 1972, we neglected to invest in the kind of program that would have maintained the momentum of the Apollo program.
In President Trump’s first term, he indicated clearly how strongly he was committed to having America lead in space. He resurrected the National Space Council and then-Vice President Mike Pence did a great job bringing together every element of the Space community. President Trump created a Space Force dedicated to developing American military superiority in space and across the planet.
After a four-year period of neglect under President Joe Biden, the second Trump administration focused once again on pioneering in space and growing commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit.
By picking Isaacman to be the head of NASA, President Trump reached out to a unique and remarkable person. Isaacman had been a successful entrepreneur and was worth well over a billion dollars. He was also passionate about space and had spent a considerable amount to fly into space twice as a customer of SpaceX. He is the only civilian who has completed a space walk outside the International Space Station.
Because Isaacman is a visionary and an entrepreneurial manager, he has already begun to create a new, dramatically more powerful set of goals for NASA. The recent briefing outlined a permanent return to the Moon, the first voyages to preposition equipment on Mars for human development, and the high priority of building a nuclear-powered rocket (which will radically reduce travel time beyond the Moon). These are big, decisive investments in moving freedom into the solar system.
Artemis II will take four astronauts further into space than anyone has ever gone before. Soon, its larger successor, SpaceX’s Starship will revolutionize travel beyond the Earth.
As big as Artemis II is (a little more powerful than the huge Saturn rockets which carried our first manned space flights) it will be dwarfed by Starship.
As a SpaceX customer, Isaacman understands the power of Elon Musk’s determination to get things to work. The SpaceX development of reusable rockets collapsed the price of putting satellites in orbit by 90 percent. This was possibly the biggest affordability breakthrough of the last generation. Today about half of all launches in the world are SpaceX. Starship will be an even greater revolution.
Starship will launch 100 passengers or 100 tons of cargo — and will be usable repeatedly.
The Artemis II launch was the wake-up call that America is back.
This time we are not just going to visit the Moon. This time we are going to develop the Moon as usable property and learn how to get hydrogen out of the water ice which has turned out to be surprisingly abundant. Mastering in-situ resource manufacturing skills will be essential for future missions to Mars.
This time we are not just going to send clever robotic vehicles to the surface of Mars. We are going to land and begin to learn how to terraform and evolve Mars into a more hospitable, productive, and survivable environment.
There was one seeming mishap on the opening days of Artemis II, which — if looked at properly — is a sign of how far we have come.
The toilet suddenly stopped working.
Since it was a $30 million toilet, the first reaction was bad jokes and great skepticism.
Then, as the story came out, it was clear how far we had come in putting humans in space. Artemis II is the first vehicle going beyond low Earth orbit to have a toilet. It is the first time astronauts have a private room. The challenges of relieving oneself in space are enormous (think zero gravity and your imagination will do the rest). The original true pioneers in the Apollo program had astonishingly primitive systems and at times found it embarrassing.
Nevertheless, the toilet is now fixed, the mission continues, and it’s amazing how far we have come — and will go.
As Isaacman warned us, the Chinese are aggressive and serious competitors. They would like to make totalitarianism the standard across the solar system.
We are now on track to carry freedom everywhere, and Congress and the American people must rise to the occasion.
The future is now — if we are prepared to grab it.
* * *
Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995-1999 and a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. He is chairman of <a href="https://www.gingrich360.net/">Gingrich 360</a>.

TOPSHOT-US-SPACE-ARTEMIS II-NASA

The Race To The Moon And Mars Is Back And This Time Freedom Is On The Line

Artemis II

China

DW Opinion

John F. Kennedy (JFK)

NASA

Newt Gingrich

SpaceX

Trump Administration

United States Space Force

President Donald Trump is expected to announce a plan to move the United States Space Force Command Headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama, on Tuesday.
According to several reports, Trump plans to reverse a Biden-era decision to move the Command HQ to Colorado Springs — a move that was itself a reversal of Trump&#8217;s initial plan to locate the branch&#8217;s command headquarters in Huntsville.
Reuters White House Correspondent Nandita Bose shared the news in a post on X, saying, &#8220;The Trump administration is planning to announce as early as Tuesday that it will relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the deliberations via @MichaelStone The decision would reverse a move made under President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration, which had selected Colorado Springs as the permanent home for the military&#8217;s newest combatant command in 2023.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) &#8211; The Trump administration is planning to announce as early as Tuesday that it will relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the…
— Nandita Bose (@nanditab1) <a href="https://twitter.com/nanditab1/status/1962881908066370016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Governor Kay Ivey (R-AL) suggested the move might be coming soon a week prior to the announcement: &#8220;Space Command coming to Huntsville? Count on it. Huntsville was already chosen once before as the home for U.S. Space Command — and for good reason. I remain confident that Alabama is the right place for this mission to take root and thrive.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Space Command coming to Huntsville? Count on it.
Huntsville was already chosen once before as the home for U.S. Space Command — and for good reason. I remain confident that Alabama is the right place for this mission to take root and thrive. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/alpolitics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#alpolitics</a>
📰: <a href="https://twitter.com/waff48?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@waff48</a> <a href="https://t.co/dU45jWSr7u">pic.twitter.com/dU45jWSr7u</a>
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorKayIvey/status/1961101072052928582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A number of Republicans argued that Biden&#8217;s decision to move the Space Force Command HQ from Alabama to Colorado was politically motivated — and part of a concerted effort to only build military installations in states that did not have abortion restrictions.
&#8220;My concern is, it looks like it’s payback from the President of the United States – and payback is a very dangerous game,&#8221; Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) said in 2023 during a hearing about the move with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.
Radio host Jeff Hunt suggested that Trump could also be hitting back at Colorado over lawsuits against him and his administration.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not saying Trump is right to move Space Force from Colorado. However, having every statewide official constantly bragging about how many lawsuits they have against the president and a Secretary of State who tried to keep him off the ballot sure didn&#8217;t help the situation,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;m not saying Trump is right to move Space Force from Colorado. However, having every statewide official constantly bragging about how many lawsuits they have against the President and a Secretary of State who tried to keep him off the ballot sure didn&#8217;t help the situation.
— Jeff Hunt (@jeffhunt) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeffhunt/status/1962910435734409282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And OANN White House Correspondent Daniel Baldwin noted that cost could also play a role, saying that Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) had said the move could result in nearly half a billion dollars saved.
&#8220;Moving the Space Force Command from Colorado to Alabama will save taxpayers $420,000,000 per Rep. Mike Rogers,&#8221; Baldwin said. &#8220;Erases a politically motivated move from Biden.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Moving the Space Force Command from Colorado to Alabama will save taxpayers $420,000,000 per Rep. Mike Rogers.
Erases a politically motivated move from Biden.
— Daniel Baldwin (@baldwin_daniel_) <a href="https://twitter.com/baldwin_daniel_/status/1962899093614739651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Space Force

Trump Plans To Relocate Space Force Command HQ To Red State

Alabama

Colorado

Military

Military Bases

Politics

The United States Air Force and Space Force announced that they had smashed through their 2025 recruiting goals three months ahead of schedule — following similar reports from both the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/less-woke-more-lethal-military-hits-major-milestones-under-trump-and-hegseth">Army</a> and the Navy several weeks earlier.
Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin shared the news in a post on X, saying, &#8220;People are lining up and signing up! I’m proud to announce the Air Force hit 100% of its Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal three months early. It proves when you have a winning team, people want to join!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
People are lining up and signing up! I’m proud to announce the Air Force hit 100% of its Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal three months early. It proves when you have a winning team, people want to join! <a href="https://t.co/BMoZU9Ozqo">https://t.co/BMoZU9Ozqo</a> <a href="https://t.co/WD6vgFojlZ">pic.twitter.com/WD6vgFojlZ</a>
— General David Allvin (@OfficialCSAF) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialCSAF/status/1939801309269696863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;When you have a winning team, people want to join!&#8221; Allvin said in an <a href="https://www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4230316/air-force-and-space-force-exceed-annual-recruiting-goals-demonstrating-american/">official statement</a>. &#8220;This is shown through the Air Force’s record recruitment, and I’m proud we’ve hit 100% of our Fiscal Year 2025 goal three months early. The Air Force invests in our Airmen and patriotic Americans ready to serve have noticed and are lining up and signing up. That’s evident with the largest number of Special Warfare candidates awaiting training on record and the throngs of recruits motivated to start basic military training. We’re thrilled to welcome these warriors into our Air Force!&#8221;
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Space Force Chief of Space Operations, General Chance Saltzman, touted his branch&#8217;s success as well, saying, &#8220;Proud to share the Space Force met our annual recruiting goal three months early! Americans are excited about our mission, and the caliber of talent stepping up to serve in our ranks is nothing short of inspiring. Semper Supra!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Proud to share the Space Force met our annual recruiting goal three months early! Americans are excited about our mission, and the caliber of talent stepping up to serve in our ranks is nothing short of inspiring. Semper Supra! <a href="https://t.co/VaCEWMIbHX">pic.twitter.com/VaCEWMIbHX</a>
— General Chance Saltzman (@SpaceForceCSO) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceForceCSO/status/1939755254003695921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I&#8217;m incredibly proud the Space Force reached our Fiscal Year 2025 recruiting goal a full three months ahead of schedule,&#8221; Saltzman added. &#8220;This is the sixth consecutive year we&#8217;ve reached our target and filled our ranks with high caliber patriots. It’s clear Americans are excited about the Space Force, and this achievement is a direct reflection of the talent our mission continues to attract.&#8221;
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also addressed the military-wide boom in recruitment, saying, &#8220;Mr. President, I think we&#8217;re controversial because we&#8217;re over the target. You inherited a demoralized military that couldn&#8217;t recruit, perceived as weak. There has been nothing short of a recruiting Renaissance.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth: “Mr. President, I think we&#8217;re controversial because we&#8217;re over the target. You inherited a demoralized military that couldn&#8217;t recruit, perceived as weak. There has been nothing short of a recruiting Renaissance.”
<a href="https://t.co/88BrSig0fY">pic.twitter.com/88BrSig0fY</a>
— America (@america) <a href="https://twitter.com/america/status/1917615859008430154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Future 30,000-pound bomb reaches mile stone

Air Force And Space Force Smash Recruiting Goals Three Months Early: ‘Lining Up And Signing Up!’

Air Force And Space Force Smash Recruiting Goals Three Months Early: 'Lining Up And Signing Up!'

Air Force

Donald Trump

Pete Hegseth

U.S.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he expects his &#8220;Golden Dome&#8221; missile defense project to be completed by the end of his term.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump announced that his administration had developed a draft architecture of what the Golden Dome would look like. He said that the project, which is expected to cost around $175 billion, would protect America from hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles.
&#8220;Once fully constructed, the golden dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they are launched from space, and we will have the best system ever built,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland.&#8221;
Trump said the missile defense project &#8220;should be fully operational by the end of my term,&#8221; adding that the &#8220;one, big, beautiful bill&#8221; making its way through Congress would include the first $25 billion for the project. He first rolled out the plan in January, issuing an executive order for the Department of Defense to develop a next-generation missile defense program.
&#8220;This is very important for the success and even survival of our country, it&#8217;s an evil world out there, so this is something that goes a long way towards the survival of this great country,&#8221; he said, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Space Force General Michael Guetlein.
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Trump said Canada had already reached out to see if it could participate in the defense program, saying it would pay &#8220;their fair share&#8221; if it joined the project.
Guetlein, who was chosen to lead the initiative, said it was much needed in the face of overseas adversaries improving their missile technology.
&#8220;As you are aware, our adversaries have become very capable and very intent on holding the homeland at risk,&#8221; he said. &#8220;While we have been focused on keeping the peace overseas, our adversaries have been quickly modernizing their nuclear forces, building out ballistic missiles capable of hosting multiple warheads, building out hypersonic missiles capable of attacking the United States within an hour and traveling at 6,000 miles an hour.&#8221;
In a statement, Hegseth noted that the Golden Dome would involve space-based interceptors and sensors and that the system would be constructed in phases, prioritizing areas most vulnerable to threats. He added that the system was being designed with input from North American Aerospace Defense Command, United States Northern Command, and United States Space Command.

President Trump Makes Announcement With Defense Secretary Hegseth In The Oval Office

Trump Reveals New Details About ‘Golden Dome’ Missile Defense System To Protect U.S.

Air and Space

ballistic missiles

Department of Defense

Executive

Ronald Reagan

The U.S. Space Force announced on Thursday that it had <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/11/us-news/space-force-col-susannah-meyers-fired-after-email-about-jd-vances-greenland-visit-surfaces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stripped</a> Col. Susannah Meyers, who ran the U.S. Space Force base in Greenland, of her command after she voiced disapproval of Vice President JD Vance’s statements when he visited the base last month.
During his speech at Pituffik Space Base, Vance <a href="https://singjupost.com/transcript-of-jd-vance-remarks-at-pituffik-space-base-in-greenland/?singlepage=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> about “Russia and China and other nations  &#8230; taking an extraordinary interest in Arctic passageways and Arctic naval routes and indeed in the minerals of the Arctic territories. We need to ensure that America is leading in the Arctic because we know that if America doesn’t, other nations will fill the gap where we fall behind.”
He addressed Denmark, saying, “Let’s be honest, what Denmark over the last 20 years has failed to do in some cases, because we know that unfortunately this place, this base, the surrounding area is less secure than it was 30, 40 years ago, because some of our allies haven’t kept up.”
“There is no amount of bullying, no amount of obfuscating, no amount of confusing the issue,” he continued. “Our message to Denmark is very simple. You have not done a good job by the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change.”
On March 31, Meyers sent an email to the troops under her command saying she had “spent the weekend thinking about Friday&#8217;s visit &#8212; the actions taken, the words spoken, and how it must have affected each of you. &#8230; I do not presume to understand current politics, but what I do know is the concerns of the U.S. administration discussed by Vice President Vance on Friday are not reflective of Pituffik Space Base,” Military.com <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/04/10/space-force-commander-greenland-sent-out-email-breaking-vance-after-his-visit.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On Thursday, the Space Force <a href="https://www.spoc.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4152328/for-release" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a>, “Colonel Susannah Meyers, commander of Pituffik Space Base was removed from command by Colonel Kenneth Klock, commander of Space Base Delta 1, on April 10, 2025 for loss of confidence in her ability to lead. Commanders are expected to adhere to the highest standards of conduct, especially as it relates to remaining nonpartisan in the performance of their duties. Colonel Shawn Lee has assumed command.”
“Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump’s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” Sean Parnell, the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, wrote on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump&#39;s agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense.
⬇️⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/ITFeGw0kUf">https://t.co/ITFeGw0kUf</a> <a href="https://t.co/MO68aje1X2">pic.twitter.com/MO68aje1X2</a>
&mdash; Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellATSD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanParnellATSD/status/1910502650170265627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Other Republicans also voiced their approval of the decision:
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Good on <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteHegseth</a> and his team for their quick action here. <a href="https://t.co/4ZffW15Ok4">https://t.co/4ZffW15Ok4</a>
&mdash; Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1910503914572554541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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President Trump is the Commander in Chief.
Get on board with the mission, or get out. <a href="https://t.co/XoSUwhn15t">https://t.co/XoSUwhn15t</a>
&mdash; Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTuberville/status/1910650518042468515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Colonel Meyers tried to politicize the Space Force and was held accountable.
Lloyd Austin isn’t SecDef anymore. 
Thanks <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PeteHegseth</a>. <a href="https://t.co/WNG9IgtT4w">pic.twitter.com/WNG9IgtT4w</a>
&mdash; Senator Jim Banks (@SenatorBanks) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBanks/status/1910502333907185760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vice President JD Vance Visits US Military Base In Northern Greenland

Space Force Fires Greenland Base Commander Who Slammed Vance’s Remarks

Greenland

JD Vance

Retired United States Air Force Brigadier General Buzz Aldrin, a famed NASA astronaut, endorsed former President Donald Trump this week.
Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, said that he was impressed by how Trump prioritized space exploration during his time in office.
&#8220;Under President Trump&#8217;s first term, America saw a revitalized interest in space,&#8221; he said. &#8220;His Administration reignited national efforts to get back to the Moon, and push on to Mars – programs that continue today.&#8221;
&#8220;The Trump Administration also reinstituted the National Space Council, so leading voices could advocate for the importance of space to America,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Finally, under President Trump, the Nation&#8217;s defense was enhanced with the creation of the U.S. Space Force– increasingly important as space becomes a contested domain.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
He said he was also excited by individuals pushing for space exploration in the private sector, namely Elon Musk, who he called a &#8220;visionary.&#8221;
He said he was deeply concerned about the global security landscape, domestic economic concerns, and stability in local communities.
&#8220;The Presidency requires an understanding of human nature, clarity in judgement, decisiveness, knowledge, understanding, and calm under pressures few have a natural ability to manage, or the life experience to successfully undertake,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It is a job where decisions are made that routinely involve American lives – some urgently but not without thought. The job requires sober analysis of frightening scenarios, and the instinct to lead with resolve.&#8221;
He said that he understands the importance of having certain leadership qualities based on his combat experience during the Korean War.
&#8220;Most citizens rightly consider it an honor to cast their vote for a leader they believe will best serve the Nation – our government by, for and of the people,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brigadier-general-buzz-aldrin-endorses-donald-j-trump-for-president-of-the-united-states-302291636.html">said</a>. &#8220;For me, for the future of our Nation, to meet enormous challenges, and for the proven policy accomplishments above, I believe the nation is best served by voting for Donald J. Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;I wholeheartedly endorse him for President of the United States,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;Godspeed President Trump, and God Bless the United States of America.&#8221;

Dr. Buzz Aldrin Honored With “Richard Nixon Greatest Comeback Award” Ahead Of The 50th Anniversary Of The Apollo 11 Splashdown

Buzz Aldrin Endorses Trump For President

Elections

Outer Space

Space

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/elon-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> is threatening legal action after California officials cited his politics in their decision to reject more SpaceX rocket launches.
On Thursday, the California Coastal Commission rejected the U.S. Space Force&#8217;s request for more frequent SpaceX rocket launches. The Space Force had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-launches-california-coastal-commission-2024-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> that SpaceX be allowed to do 50 launches a year of its Falcon 9 rocket at Vandenberg Space Force Base, up from 36 launches.
The commission denied the request in a six-to-four vote.
During a hearing on the issue, commissioners griped about Musk&#8217;s political views, as well as his campaign stop with former President Donald Trump earlier this month.
Caryl Hart, the commission chair, sparked accusations of illegal regulatory lawfare when she distinguished between SpaceX and other companies.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not the other companies. This is about SpaceX increasing their launches, not the other companies increasing their launches,&#8221; Hart said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Coastal Commission has one job – take care of the California coast. 
It is illegal for them to make decisions based on what they (mostly wrongly) think are my politics. 
For example, I have done more to advance sustainable energy &amp; help the environment than maybe anyone… <a href="https://t.co/x5CF2WkVdA">https://t.co/x5CF2WkVdA</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1846281675430334854?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We&#8217;re dealing with a company the head of which has aggressively injected himself into the presidential race and made it clear what his point of view is,&#8221; she said.
Hart also <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/company-news/2024/10/11/california-commissioners-reject-expansion-of-spacex-launches-a-non-binding-rebuff-of-musk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> to forget that SpaceX Director of Government Affairs Matthew Dunn had participated in the hearing via Zoom earlier.
Commissioner Mike Wilson said at the hearing that politics and science &#8220;mix in these spaces.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
Wilson complained that Musk was &#8220;speaking about political retribution on a national stage, and it was very glib, but yet he was standing next to a person, a candidate that openly promotes and is working to normalize that language, and we have to push back against that.&#8221;
Commissioner Gretchen Newsom accused Musk of &#8220;hopping about the country spewing and tweeting political falsehoods and attacking FEMA while claiming his desire to help the hurricane victims.&#8221;
Musk skewered the Commission in comments posted to X.
&#8220;The Coastal Commission has one job – take care of the California coast. It is illegal for them to make decisions based on what they (mostly wrongly) think are my politics,&#8221; Musk wrote.
The SpaceX founder added that he has done &#8220;more to advance sustainable energy &amp; help the environment than maybe anyone ever, which is not exactly a &#8216;far-right&#8217; position.&#8221;
&#8220;Yet here they are shamelessly breaking the law! They should resign immediately and face the appropriate legal consequences for their actions,&#8221; Musk said.
Musk has been outspoken in his support of Trump this election cycle.
During his October 5 campaign stop with Trump in Pennsylvania, the tech mogul urged people to register to vote and cast their ballot for Trump in the crucial swing state.
Trump is locked in an extremely close race with Vice President Kamala Harris. Several polls this month have shown her tiny national lead starting to shrink.

7th Viva Technology Conference In Paris – Day 3

‘Shamelessly Breaking The Law!’: Elon Musk Blasts California Officials Denying SpaceX Launches

'Shamelessly Breaking The Law!': Elon Musk Blasts California Officials Denying SpaceX Launches

California

Elon Musk

First Amendment

General

Trump 2024

Less than a week ago, as engineers at SpaceX prepared to achieve something that had never been done before in human history, a dozen bureaucrats at the California Coastal Commission assembled to do something that&#8217;s been done many, many times before. The commissioners — a group that mostly consists of liberal women — set up a massive regulatory roadblock to impede people who are actually doing real, important work. And these commissioners established this roadblock in a way that made it extremely obvious to everyone that the root of their frustration was their own jealousy and bitterness.
The following clips come from a meeting of the California Coastal Commission to consider SpaceX&#8217;s plans to launch as many as 50 rockets every year from Vandenberg Space Force Base, which is located in Southern California&#8217;s Santa Barbara County. This is a plan that was formally proposed by the Air Force and the Space Force, because SpaceX is a military contractor — and everything SpaceX does either directly benefits the Defense Department, or more broadly advances the interests of this country. But the California Coastal Commission, in its infinite wisdom, disagrees. They <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-10-11/la-me-spacex-coastal-commission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted down</a> the proposal for more launches. So why did they do that, exactly?
Here&#8217;s one of the commissioners, Gretchen Newsom (no relation to Gavin Newsom), explaining her reasoning. Pay attention not only to what she says, but also how she says it. Watch:
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Once all the crazy talks from the public are over, the even crazier talks from government officials start. Now it REALLY becomes clear as to what the actual reasons are. 
Here is <a href="https://twitter.com/GretchenNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GretchenNewsom</a> spewing a load of bullshit about Starlink. The quoted post explains just how wrong… <a href="https://t.co/iVqI9AP0jI">pic.twitter.com/iVqI9AP0jI</a>
&mdash; Robin (@xdNiBoR) <a href="https://twitter.com/xdNiBoR/status/1845895750204436736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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She&#8217;s practically snarling over the fact that Elon Musk provided internet access to people in a storm. This is internet access that the federal government denied these people, because the Biden-Harris administration cut Starlink out of a funding program for rural broadband access. And as you&#8217;d expect, many of these people voluntarily — and gratefully — accepted this internet access from Elon Musk in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
But somehow this is all a &#8220;sick ploy,&#8221; says Gretchen Newsom. And she makes that claim because, if they wanted Starlink, people had to pay a couple hundred dollars for the Starlink unit — the normal cost of the device — followed by a monthly fee after 30 free days of service (which has since been extended, for free, to the end of 2024). In other words, according to the California Coastal Commission, it&#8217;s not enough for Elon Musk to swoop in and provide basic services that the Biden administration failed to provide. He also has to do it for free. And if he doesn&#8217;t, the government will retaliate against him by blocking permits to launch rockets.
There&#8217;s so much to going on in that clip, it&#8217;s not even clear where to begin. But I wanted to start with Starlink, because it highlights the anti-human ideology that&#8217;s consumed so much of the Left. They don&#8217;t care if Elon Musk is saving lives in disaster zones in states like North Carolina. They don&#8217;t care if people are voluntarily paying him money so that they can access a vital service like the internet. They only care about damaging Elon Musk as much as possible.
And from that clip, it&#8217;s pretty clear why they want to damage Elon Musk. Gretchen Newsom says that Musk has made &#8220;bigoted&#8221; remarks about the &#8220;transgender community.&#8221; She claims he&#8217;s &#8220;spewing and tweeting political falsehoods about FEMA.&#8221; First of all, it would be hard to imagine a more direct and obvious violation of the First Amendment than these statements. Elon Musk has already said he&#8217;s suing the California Coastal Commission over this, and he absolutely should. On top of that, the things Elon Musk was saying are true. Men can&#8217;t become women. And FEMA did waste more than a billion dollars on services for illegal migrants. If the Constitution protects anything, it&#8217;s statements like these.
That&#8217;s how the Constitution is written, anyway. But obviously that&#8217;s not how things work in places that are run exclusively by Democrats, like California. We saw that just a couple of weeks ago, when the governor, Gavin Newsom, tried to ban satire and memes. He didn&#8217;t like how people on social media were talking about Kamala Harris being a DEI hire, so he tried to outlaw it. He just came right out and said it. And Gretchen Newsom (again, no relation, surprisingly enough) has taken the exact same approach, right out in the open.
There are a few other things that Gretchen Newsom said that I could quibble with. For example, no, Musk isn&#8217;t requesting &#8220;government support.&#8221; This meeting, again, is about a request by the Air Force and Space Force for the California Coastal Commission to get out of the way. No one wants the &#8220;support&#8221; of this commission. They want this commission to stop bothering them. Of course, technically, the military can override this commission if it wants to. But right now they&#8217;re working to find some kind of compromise solution. That may not last for very long, though.
That&#8217;s because it&#8217;s not just Gretchen Newsom who thinks like this. The majority of the Coastal Commission in California is the same way. Here for example is Caryl Hart, the chair of the Commission. And this clip may be even more embarrassing than the previous one. Watch:
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Next, here is Dr. Hart, the chair of the CCC, forgetting about Mathew Dun and she has to be interrupted. I think this shows how much she cares and how much attention she pays to everything. 
She&#39;s also scared about her position. Lol. <a href="https://t.co/JKHDvIQsjK">pic.twitter.com/JKHDvIQsjK</a>
&mdash; Robin (@xdNiBoR) <a href="https://twitter.com/xdNiBoR/status/1845895764154716191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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So she tries to ding SpaceX for not showing up on Zoom during the meeting. And then she&#8217;s told that, in fact, SpaceX did show up by Zoom. In fact, someone named Mathew Dun, the Director for Government Affairs at SpaceX, gave a whole presentation. He explained that SpaceX is currently supporting the Defense Department, Boeing and NASA. He pointed out that SpaceX is the only operational U.S. provider for astronaut transportation to the International Space Station — which is kind of a big deal, because astronauts are trapped up there at the moment. He went into detail about how Starlink assists the Pentagon, in addition to disaster victims.
But somehow, the chair of the California Coastal Commission missed all of this. And when she&#8217;s informed that SpaceX had shown up and done a whole presentation, she instantly waves it off. She says it wasn&#8217;t enough for her. So obviously, she made up her mind long before this hearing. And again, it&#8217;s clear what she&#8217;s really upset about. She complains that Musk has, &#8220;aggressively injected himself into the presidential race and made it clear what his point of view is.&#8221; So, in other words, he&#8217;s exercised his First Amendment rights in a way that the California Coastal Commission doesn&#8217;t approve of.
For good measure, Caryl Hart also complains that Musk has, &#8220;managed the company&#8221; in a way that&#8217;s &#8220;very disturbing.&#8221; It&#8217;s hard to know exactly what that&#8217;s a reference to. Maybe she&#8217;s complaining about that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hostile-work-environment-elon-musk-becomes-the-latest-target-of-left-wing-lawfare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> by some former SpaceX employees, which accused Musk of posting insensitive memes on X. Those memes were allegedly very traumatizing to these employees — particularly the meme depicting Bill Gates as a pregnant man emoji. It&#8217;s very disturbing stuff.
Or maybe she&#8217;s referring to how SpaceX was <a href="https://spacenews.com/faa-fines-spacex-for-launch-license-violations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fined</a> several hundred thousand dollars because of alleged &#8220;launch license violations&#8221; last year — even though those &#8220;launch license violations&#8221; wouldn&#8217;t have been violations at all, if the FAA had responded to SpaceX&#8217;s various applications in time. Maybe that&#8217;s what the commissioner finds &#8220;disturbing.&#8221;
Or maybe she&#8217;s talking about how SpaceX is doing things that no one has ever done before in all of human history. Maybe she finds that disturbing. Maybe she doesn&#8217;t see any benefit to reusable rockets, or colonizing Mars, or rapidly deploying satellites to provide internet access to millions of people. Maybe the idea of human progress upsets this particular bureaucrat. That would explain a lot.
You can go through the whole hearing and you won&#8217;t find a serious explanation for the commission&#8217;s ultimate vote, which was to deny SpaceX the additional launches. But you will find a lot of hysteria. 
There&#8217;s a user on X using the handle &#8220;Robin&#8221; who assembled some of the better examples. Here&#8217;s two of them. The first clip is a commissioner named Dayna Bochco, who announces that the Air Force and Space Force are wrong, and that really, SpaceX has nothing to do with our national defense. She just comes out and unilaterally declares that SpaceX doesn&#8217;t benefit the government in any way. She knows more than the Pentagon and all of the engineers on this point. Watch:
The second clip is a woman — a member of the public — complaining about sonic booms from the launches. Watch:
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Then, we have this absolute gem. She doesn&#39;t think that the launches are needed for the federal government or defense. <a href="https://t.co/mhT7mDkaKV">pic.twitter.com/mhT7mDkaKV</a>
&mdash; Robin (@xdNiBoR) <a href="https://twitter.com/xdNiBoR/status/1845895766591610884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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This next clip is a woman — a member of the public — complaining about sonic booms from the launches. Watch:
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I suppose we shouldn&#39;t expand humanity&#39;s presence in space because Leah finds a sonic boom &#39;terrifying&#39; and claims she &#39;felt it through my bones.&#39;
Then she talks about the recent landing failure as if that has anything to do with it. 🤦 <a href="https://t.co/5gRxlKgfk0">pic.twitter.com/5gRxlKgfk0</a>
&mdash; Robin (@xdNiBoR) <a href="https://twitter.com/xdNiBoR/status/1845895745213202744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2024</a></blockquote>
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There&#8217;s all sorts of back-and-forth on this sonic boom issue. SpaceX disagrees on how many of these booms are audible in populated areas, and how loud they are, and so on. But let&#8217;s just put all that aside for a moment. Let&#8217;s concede, for the purposes of argument, that every now and then there&#8217;s briefly a loud noise from a SpaceX launch, and that some people can hear it for a second or two. In what universe does this justify denying SpaceX the ability to launch rockets at all?
This would be like denying construction crews the ability to work, at all, at any time. Imagine if people like this had their way during any other significant moments in this country&#8217;s history. Imagine if someone like that lady was bothered by all the noise they were making in Los Alamos, and had the Manhattan Project shut down. Imagine being the kind of person who hears a couple seconds of a sonic boom, and feels &#8220;terrified&#8221; as a result. When this woman says &#8220;sonic boom,&#8221; this is what we&#8217;re talking about here, to give you some idea. Watch:
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Tracking footage of Falcon 9’s first stage booster landing and sonic boom <a href="https://t.co/HNohw3oCCp">pic.twitter.com/HNohw3oCCp</a>
&mdash; SpaceX (@SpaceX) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1820562095613898976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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So the rocket makes a loud noise — that&#8217;s reason number 10,000 to shut down SpaceX, apparently. And I haven&#8217;t even gotten into the DOJ&#8217;s lawsuit against SpaceX for not hiring enough &#8220;asylum seekers,&#8221; which is what they&#8217;re calling illegal aliens now. And of course, the European Union has about a million of their own issues with SpaceX as well.
The only positive thing to come out of this pathetic meeting at the California Coastal Commission is that it established, by sheer contrast, how useless all of these &#8220;regulators&#8221; and critics really are. They couldn&#8217;t have picked a worse day to hold this hearing. Less than a week later, Elon Musk demonstrated that unlike his critics, his companies are actually accomplishing things. They&#8217;re benefiting humanity in very real and tangible ways. It&#8217;s maybe the least flattering juxtaposition in the history of juxtapositions. On the one hand, you have useless, bitter bureaucrats trying to slow human progress. And on the other hand, you have this:
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Starship rocket booster caught by tower <a href="https://t.co/aOQmSkt6YE">pic.twitter.com/aOQmSkt6YE</a>
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1845467052443828579?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
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What SpaceX just accomplished will make interplanetary travel — in particular travel to Mars — an order of magnitude cheaper. They proved that they can catch their rocket boosters in-mid air. They also proved that they can precisely land the ship itself in the water. As Elon Musk put it last night, when you can re-use extremely expensive equipment like this, and then rapidly re-deploy it, you make it literally 1,000 times easier and less expensive to colonize a planet like Mars. And when you&#8217;re talking about trillions of dollars, that&#8217;s a big difference. It&#8217;s the difference between colonizing Mars and staying on this planet forever.
The reason Musk&#8217;s critics don&#8217;t care about this is that, when you get down to it, they&#8217;re not just bitter and jealous and unhappy. They&#8217;re also anti-human. They don&#8217;t want humans to colonize another planet anymore than they want humans to have free speech on the internet, or to reproduce above replacement level. Pretty much the only issue these people are passionate about is abortion, because it means fewer humans will exist.
That&#8217;s why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris didn&#8217;t bother to congratulate Elon Musk or SpaceX on their achievement, even though it altered the trajectory of civilization forever. It&#8217;s why they&#8217;re engaging in open lawfare to shut his companies down. These people do not want to save this country, or civilization for that matter. They want to destroy it. And they&#8217;ll complain about any pretext imaginable — whether it&#8217;s &#8220;sonic booms&#8221; or &#8220;launch licenses&#8221; or &#8220;hiring asylum seekers&#8221; — in order to achieve that end.
The only reasonable response is to dismantle the vast web of bureaucratic agencies like the &#8220;California Coastal Commission&#8221; along with the Biden-Harris administration. This election isn&#8217;t really even about Democrat or Republican anymore. It&#8217;s a choice between unimpressive, profoundly cynical bureaucrats, and people who advance civilization in meaningful ways. After what SpaceX accomplished this week, that fundamental distinction is now clear to everyone with an internet connection or a television. That&#8217;s what they&#8217;re actually upset about. And it&#8217;s why, in just a few weeks, there&#8217;s a very good chance they&#8217;re going to lose the power that they never deserved to have in the first place.

Celebrities Attend The 2024 US Open Tennis Championships – Day 14

Why The Left Is Willing To Do Anything They Can To Take Down Elon Musk

Matt Walsh

Opinion

U.S. Air Force

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said on Monday that if he wins back the presidency this fall, he will create a new reserve component for the U.S. Space Force.
Trump made the remarks while speaking at the National Guard Association of the United States conference in Detroit about national security issues.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZhyOQfEkxcMH_D1Ago3CQ">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
&#8220;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,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Now that Space Force is up and running, I agree with your leadership &#8230; that the time has come to create a Space National Guard as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Space Force.&#8221;
&#8220;As president, I will sign historic legislation creating a Space National Guard into law,&#8221; he continued.
&#8220;We will make a historic investment in building a U.S. military for the 21st century, investing heavily in drones, robotics, artificial intelligence, hypersonics,&#8221; he added.
WATCH:
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PRESIDENT TRUMP: &#8220;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&#8230; Now that Space Force is up and running, I agree with your leadership that the time has come to create a SPACE NATIONAL GUARD… <a href="https://t.co/u9ZQphUzOd">pic.twitter.com/u9ZQphUzOd</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1828141786788716580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
Trump directed the creation of the U.S. Space Force in 2018 as the sixth branch of the armed forces.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw20WW7TctHuJrGIoU7DH97E">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
“Space is a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air, and sea,” Trump said at the time. “We have the Air Force, we’ll have the space force.”
During his speech in Detroit, Trump added that he wants to create a missile defense system around the U.S. that is similar to Israel&#8217;s &#8220;Iron Dome.&#8221;
&#8220;And, we’re going to build a great Iron Dome for missile defense around our nation,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Other countries have said Israel has it. You know, Ronald Reagan wanted this many years ago, but we didn’t have the technology at that point. But now we have the technology.&#8221;

Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Holds Rally In Glendale, Arizona

Trump To Create New Reserve Component For U.S. Military Branch

2024 Election

National Guard

The U.S. Department of Defense is warning Congress of continued military recruitment struggles as the country will enter the new year with its smallest fighting force since before World War II. 
Ashish Vazirani, the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the Army, Navy, and Air Force missed their 2023 recruitment goals by a combined 41,000 personnel, The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12869575/pentagon-biden-army-navy-marines-space-force-military-recruit-gen-z.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The annual defense authorization bill passed by Congress earlier this week stated that active-duty troops will drop to 1,284,500 in fiscal 2024, which is down by 64,000 troops over the past three years, giving the U.S. military its smallest force since 1940, <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2023/12/14/amid-recruiting-woes-active-duty-end-strength-to-drop-again-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Military Times. 
&#8220;That number understates the challenge before us as the services lowered end-strength goals in recent years, in part because of the difficult recruiting environment,” Vazirani said, adding that military recruitment is facing “one of its greatest challenges” since the last declared draft ended in 1973. 
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed his concern over the decreasing military numbers.
“We need a larger force, in every branch. But the reality of recruiting is driving the numbers, not what we actually need,” Wicker told The Military Times. 
Some branches of the armed forces have gone to more extreme lengths recently to boost their recruitment levels. Earlier this year, the Navy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/navy-hires-active-duty-drag-queen-to-combat-sinking-recruitment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, an active-duty sailor and drag queen, one of five Navy Digital Ambassadors in a pilot recruitment program. The Air Force <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/air-force-to-decrease-body-weight-standards-for-entry-as-americans-increasingly-too-fat-to-enlist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a move</a> in April to recruit more Americans into its ranks by decreasing weight standards. 
The strategies didn’t appear to work, as both the Navy and the Air Force are expected to be down thousands of airmen and sailors from its 2021 numbers. The Army is facing the largest recruitment problem out of the military branches as it’s down over 40,000 troops over the past three years. The Marine Corps, which along with the Space Force met its most recent recruitment goal, is still expected to be down by nearly 9,000 active-duty service members compared to fiscal year 2021. 
The Pentagon is seeking to change the direction of the military&#8217;s poor recruiting numbers by developing a message that &#8220;resonates&#8221; with young Americans, according to Vazirani.
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&#8220;While the picture of the current recruiting environment is acutely difficult, the Defense Department and the military services are working together to resolve issues, improve processes, and expand awareness of the many opportunities military service offers,&#8221; said Vazirani. &#8220;We must reach today&#8217;s youth where they are with a message that resonates with them and motivates them to act.&#8221;

Army Recruitment

Pentagon Warns Of Military’s Dropping Numbers Heading Into 2024 As U.S. Fields Smallest Fighting Force Since Before WWII

Pentagon Warns Of Military's Dropping Numbers Heading Into 2024 As U.S. Fields Smallest Fighting Force Since Before WWII

Marines

Pentagon

U.S. Army

U.S. Military

U.S. Navy

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-upholds-law-enabling-tribes-to-bar-non-native-families-from-adopting-native-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supreme Court Upholds Indian Child Welfare Law</a>
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to a 1978 law that states Native American parents should have priority preference when Native American children are up for adoption. The Law was challenged by several non-Native American families, who argued that Congress had gone outside of its constitutional authority. In a 7-2 vote, the majority opinion was authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett who ruled that, “Congress’s power to legislate with respect to Indians is well established and broad.” President Joe Biden praised the decision, saying, it kept in place &#8220;a vital protection for tribal sovereignty and Native children.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-government-agencies-hit-with-cyberattack-chinese-spies-breach-hundreds-of-networks-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Agencies Hacked</a>
Several U.S. federal government agencies were effectively hacked due to a vulnerability in a widely used software called “MOVEit.”  The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency confirmed to CNN that it “is providing support to several federal agencies that have experienced intrusions.” It’s unclear who is responsible for the attack.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/human-brains-skin-from-harvard-morgue-sold-on-black-market-feds-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harvard Morgue Manager Accused Of Selling Body Parts</a>
Several people are accused of stealing and selling human remains from Harvard Medical School’s morgue.
A grand jury has indicted the morgue manager, 55-year-old Cedric Lodge, in the criminal plot, which, according to the complaint, lasted from 2018 to earlier this year. The federal complaint was filed in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where one of the defendants lives. Lodge allegedly allowed buyers to come into the morgue and pick and choose what remains they wanted to buy. He also allegedly stole parts of donated cadavers including brains, skin, and bones, took them home to his New Hampshire residence, and shipped them to buyers by mail. Six other people, including Lodge’s wife Denise Lodge and a mortician from Arkansas, have all been charged in the scheme.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/space-force-general-admits-shed-prioritize-gender-surgery-access-over-qualified-officers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Space Force General Admits She’d Prioritize Gender Surgery Access Over Qualified Officers</a>
Space Force Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt is under fire for admitting during a recent Department of Defense Pride event that she would allow access to “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/missouri-governor-signs-bills-banning-transgender-treatments-for-minors-protecting-womens-sports">gender-affirming care</a>” to take priority over qualifications when deciding where to assign officers. 
Burt has gone viral in a video this week in which she explains how she handles several states that have passed laws <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nebraska-becomes-18th-state-to-ban-transgender-surgeries-on-children">banning transgender surgeries</a> — and in some cases, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors. In the speech, Burt states that while she would normally consider job performance and qualifications before selecting officers for certain jobs, she also has had to consider whether her troops and their families would be comfortable taking jobs in certain states.
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofDefense</a> &quot;pride&quot; event last week gets more bizarre with scrutiny. 
Thread:
1. Here, LTG Burt openly admits she lets supposed concerns over &quot;anti-LGBTQ+ laws in a state&quot; about &quot;healthcare&quot; dictate personnel choices, even if it means choosing a less-qualified officer. <a href="https://t.co/O5zc2yku9P">pic.twitter.com/O5zc2yku9P</a>
&mdash; William Thibeau (@WilliamThibeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamThibeau/status/1668979208016494592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rand Paul Plays Hardball For COVID Docs
Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky vowed on Thursday to block all nominees and legislation in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions until key documents related to COVID and its origins are released. 
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Until such time as the majority decides it would like to cooperate with me in a bipartisan fashion to obtain the COVID documents necessary to conduct oversight, I will object to every piece of legislation and nominee coming out of this committee. <a href="https://t.co/stFn9SWtqU">pic.twitter.com/stFn9SWtqU</a>
&mdash; Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRandPaul/status/1669352798411182081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-to-buy-iron-dome-air-defense-system-from-israel/#:~:text=The%20Bundestag's%20budget%20committee%20released,Israel%2Dmade%20air%20defense%20system.&amp;text=BERLIN%20%E2%80%94%20Germany%20has%20the%20green,get%20its%20own%20Iron%20Dome." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany Getting Its Own &#8216;Iron Dome&#8217;</a>
The<a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-to-buy-iron-dome-air-defense-system-from-israel/"> nation of Germany</a> is moving ahead to purchase new technology similar to Israel&#8217;s “Iron Dome” defense system. The Budget Committee of Germany’s National Parliament released its initial payment of €560 million toward the purchase of the Israel-made Arrow-3 air defense system. The purchase is part of the European country&#8217;s  €100 billion defense upgrade.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Concord, NH – June 14: Former Harvard Medical School morgue manager Cedric Lodge, 55, shields his face with a printout of the indictment against him as he walked from the Warren B. Rudman United States Courthouse, following his arrest on charges related to an alleged scheme to steal and sell donated body parts.

Thursday Afternoon Update: Harvard’s Alleged Morgue Marauder, Rand Paul Plays Hardball For COVID Docs, Germany Getting Its Own ‘Iron Dome’

Thursday Afternoon Update: Harvard's Alleged Morgue Marauder, Rand Paul Plays Hardball For Covid Docs, Germany Getting Its Own 'Iron Dome'

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United States Space Force Lt. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt admitted during a recent Department of Defense (DoD) LGBTQ+ PRIDE event that she would allow access to &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/missouri-governor-signs-bills-banning-transgender-treatments-for-minors-protecting-womens-sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gender-affirming care</a>&#8221; to take priority over qualifications when assigning officers.
Burt referenced several states that have passed laws <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nebraska-becomes-18th-state-to-ban-transgender-surgeries-on-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banning transgender surgeries</a> — and in some cases, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones — for minors, and said that while she would normally consider job performance and qualifications before selecting officers for certain jobs, she had to also consider whether her troops and their families would feel safe in those assignments.
WATCH:
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofDefense</a> &quot;pride&quot; event last week gets more bizarre with scrutiny. 
Thread:
1. Here, LTG Burt openly admits she lets supposed concerns over &quot;anti-LGBTQ+ laws in a state&quot; about &quot;healthcare&quot; dictate personnel choices, even if it means choosing a less-qualified officer. <a href="https://t.co/O5zc2yku9P">pic.twitter.com/O5zc2yku9P</a>
&mdash; William Thibeau (@WilliamThibeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamThibeau/status/1668979208016494592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Transformational cultural change requires leadership from the top, and we do not have time to wait,&#8221; Burt began. &#8220;Since January of this year, more than 400 anti-LGBTQ+ laws have been introduced at the state level. That number is rising and demonstrates a trend that could be dangerous for service members, their families, and the readiness of the force as a whole.&#8221;
&#8220;When I look at potential candidates, say for Squadron command, I strive to match the right person to the right job,&#8221; she continued, adding, &#8220;I consider their job performance and relevant experience first. However, I also look at their personal circumstances, and their family is also an important factor. If a good match for a job does not feel safe being themselves and performing at their highest potential at a given location, or if their family could be denied critical health care due to the laws in that state, I am compelled to consider a different candidate, perhaps less qualified.&#8221;
Space Force veteran Lt. Col Matt Lohmeier — who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/space-force-officer-fired-for-blasting-marxism-in-military-we-were-taught-whites-inherently-evil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relieved of command</a> after he said on a conservative podcast that Marxism was infiltrating the U.S. military — argued in a tweet that Burt had actually done what he was fired for doing.
&#8220;I was once fired from command in the @SpaceForceDoD for allegedly &#8216;being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity.&#8217; That allegation was totally false,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Lt. Gen. Burt here demonstrates what being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity really looks like.&#8221;
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I was once fired from command in the <a href="https://twitter.com/SpaceForceDoD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpaceForceDoD</a> for allegedly “being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity.” That allegation was totally false. 
Lt Gen Burt here demonstrates what being politically partisan while acting in an official capacity really… <a href="https://t.co/cghkdMhsFn">https://t.co/cghkdMhsFn</a>
&mdash; Matt Lohmeier 🇺🇸 (@matthewlohmeier) <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewlohmeier/status/1669092020789612544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Burt&#8217;s comments suggest that the Defense Department — or at least the U.S. Space Force — is leaning into politics in a way that could potentially be more damaging to overall force readiness if she is truly willing to consider a service member&#8217;s access to transgender surgeries and hormones at a given duty station over their fitness for that particular job.
In the U.S. Army&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.army.mil/values/soldiers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Soldier&#8217;s Creed</a>,&#8221; one line reads, &#8220;I will always place the mission first.&#8221; Burt&#8217;s statement suggests that catering to the LGBTQ+ community comes first, and the &#8220;mission&#8221; is secondary.

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Space Force General Admits She’d Prioritize Gender Surgery Access Over Qualified Officers

Space Force General Admits She'd Prioritize Gender Surgery Access Over Qualified Officers

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