White House press secretary Jen Psaki said late Tuesday that the White House will continue the work of the U.S. Space Force, after Republican leaders demanded an apology over her remarks earlier in the day that referenced the sixth military branch in a trivial manner.
“We look forward to the continuing work of Space Force and invite the members of the team to come visit us in the briefing room anytime to share an update on their important work,” Psaki wrote on Twitter late Tuesday.
The announcement marks the first time the Biden administration has said that the military branch established under former President Donald Trump will continue its work. Undoing the Space Force would require congressional approval.
Psaki’s Twitter announcement comes after Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), the House Armed Services Committee’s top Republican, demanded that she apologize over her remarks earlier on Tuesday over a reporter’s question on the Space Force.
Psaki was asked at a White House press briefing whether President Joe Biden has decided whether to maintain or maintain the scope of the Space Force.
“Wow, Space Force. It’s the plane of today,” Psaki responded with a jokey expression, to which the reporter was heard trying to reply, before Psaki added: “It is an interesting question. I am happy to check with our Space Force point of contact. I’m not sure who that is. I will find out and see if they have any update on that.”
“The Space Force was passed with near unanimous support in Congress, the same type of ‘unity’ President Biden is supposedly working towards,” he added. “Jen Psaki needs to immediately apologize to the men and women of the Space Force for this disgraceful comment.”
Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), a founding member of the House Space Force Caucus, also criticized the remarks. In a statement to the outlet, he said, “This is just another example of the Biden administration not taking China seriously while demeaning the incredible work of Space Force personnel.”
