The spacecraft that go through other planets. I would argue doe also stands announcer we are leaving this program and taking you live to the white house where President Trump is officially announcing the establishment of the u. S. Space command as a separate branch of the armed forces. This is live coverage from the rose garden on cspan. [applause] pres. Trump thank you very much. It is a great honor. On a Beautiful Day in the rose garden. Please it. Thank you. Please sit. Thank you. To ensure all resources of the federal government are focused on the arriving song, i have decided to send our Vice President , mike pence, to poland this weekend in my place. Its something very important for me to be here. This storm looks like it could be a very, very big one indeed. And mike will be going. I have just spoken to president duda of poland and expressed him my warmest wishes. And he would and the wishes of the american people. Our highest priority is a safety and security of the people in the path of the hurricane. Will be rescheduling my trip to poland in the near future. The rosethered here in garden to establish the United States space command. Its a big deal. As the newest combatant command, space, will defend americas vital interest in space, the next war fighting domain. I think that is pretty obvious to everybody. It is all about space. We are joined by Vice President mike pence, secretary of defense dr. Mark esper, acting director of national intelligence, joe maguire. Acting secretary of the army, ryan mccarthy, acting secretary of the air force, matt donovan, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general joseph dunford, and congressman mike turner. We are especially grateful to welcome the new leader of space com, general j raymond, highly respected man within the military. Joined this afternoon by his wife, molly. Thank you. Thank you, molly. Congratulations, molly. Its great. Their wonderful family and several of their friends. General raymond, congratulations. So important. I know he is going to do a fantastic job. Thank you very much. [applause] pres. Trump the United States combatant commands were developed to join branches of our armed forces in common cause across diverse fields of battle. Each of the United States military is combatant has an area of responsibility from scent, which oversees our mission in the middle east, to our most recent cyber com which we established last year to protect americans from the most advanced cyber threats, and also to create very, very severe and powerful offense of threats, should we need them. Ted the dangers to our country constantly evolve, and so must we. Now, those who wish to harm the United States to seek to challenge us, in the ultimate high ground of space, it is going to be a whole different ballgame. Our adversaries are weaponizing earths orbits with new technology targeting american satellites that are critical to both battlefield operations and our way of life at home. Our freedom to operate in space is also essential to detecting and destroying any missile launched against the United States. Recognizedwe have land, air, sea, and cyber as a war fighting domains, we will now treat space as an independent region overseen by a new unified geographic combatant command. The establishment of the 11th combatant command is a landmark moment. This is a landmark day. The centercognizes eyelet he of space to Americas National security and defense. Under general raymondss willrship, space com boldly deter aggression and outpace americas rivals by far. Four 35 years, general raymond has led and commanded Space Operations at every level in the u. S. Air force. Molly, i hope you are very proud of him. Ill bet you are. I am too. Who haswarrior integrated Space Capabilities to make our military even stronger, and to pave the way for a new era of national defense. He is respected by everybody sitting in front of us, everybody in the military, and everybody that knows him. Will soon be followed a very importantly by the establishment of the United StatesUnited States space force as the six branch of the United States armed forces. And that is really something, when you think about it. The space force will organize, train, and equip warriors to support spacecoms mission. With todays action, we open another great chapter in the extraordinary history of the United States military. Will ensure americas dominance in space is never questioned, and never threatened, because we know the best way to prevent conflict is to prepare for victory. Days,ur nations first americas military blazed the trails and crossed the frontiers, secured our nations future. No adversary on earth will ever match the awesome purge, skill, and might of American Armed forces. Today, we salute the heroic men and women who will serve in spacecom and keep americans horizons forever bright, and forever free. Since we cames into the administration, since the election, 2016, since we have done 2017, things with the military that few people would have thought possible. 700 billion. 716 billion. And now 738 billion. Nobody would have thought that was possible, but we had them approved. By republicans and democrats. And that money is now building the most advanced equipment anywhere on earth. Equipment that nobody even could have conceived of even two years ago. It is very necessary and hopefully willi we will never have to use it. I would like to ask like to ask secretary esper to sign documents formally establishing the United States space command. Thank you. Mr. Secretary. [applause] congratulations. [applause] good afternoon. Mr. President , thank you for hosting us today. Airmen, so, you honor sailors, soldiers, and marines that secure the high ground for our nation. On behalf of those men and women, we would like to present you with a momento. August 30 nine, 2019, on behalf of the space war fighters, thank you for your leadership. Pres. Trump thank you. [applause] good one. P thats a [applause] pres. Trump thats a big one. Thank you very much. Chiefd now like to invite ermanr Sergeant Roger tobi to unfurl the United States space command. Thank you very much. [applause] [applause] now, we join a live discussion by the American Political Science Association on constitutional issues in the Trump Administration and what that could mean for american democracy