ARLINGTON, Va. — Vice President Mike Pence followed up on an announcement President Donald Trump made in June directing the Defense Department to create a Space Force, a sixth branch of the military, with Pence calling for the new branch by 2020 during a speech at the Pentagon Thursday.
Trump said during a meeting of his National Space Council two months ago that getting ahead in space is integral to the nation's national security.
"When it comes to defending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space, we must have American dominance in space," he said at the time. But Congress has been slow to act, with members calling it a "joke" or a "bad idea," according to Congressional reporter Jamie Dupree. Many Republicans have just ignored it.
Just hours after Pence’s speech, President Trump’s re-election campaign manager, Brad Parscale, sent out an email asking supporters to vote on a new Space Force logo. A few sample logos bear a striking resemblance to NASA’s iconic circular logo with criss-crossed golden wings.
Trump campaign email just went out asking people to vote for a Space Force logo. pic.twitter.com/083DG3pLdo
— Jim Dalrymple II (@Dalrymple) August 9, 2018
"President Trump wants a SPACE FORCE -- a groundbreaking endeavor for the future of America and the final frontier," Parscale said in the email, according to CBS News.
"As a way to celebrate President Trump's huge announcement, our campaign will be selling a new line of gear. But first we have to make a final decision on the design we will use to commemorate President Trump's new Space Force -- and he wants YOU to have a say."
There’s no indication on when the voting might end and a decision will be made.
Space Force is in the market for a logo and President Trump is asking Americans to vote https://t.co/nLcMDgZrNI pic.twitter.com/jnpOEj5x3m
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 10, 2018
Cox Media Group