President Trump’s surprise decision to order the creation of a U.S. “Space Force” came because he was frustrated with Pentagon officials for not taking up his initial suggestion, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Trump directed the Defense Department on Monday to create the country’s sixth military service branch, a move that shocked Pentagon officials and lawmakers.
{mosads}People familiar with the decision told the Journal that Trump often throws out ideas in public but then expects his aides and Cabinet officials to create follow-through plans.
Trump gets frustrated and make demands when he feels like his appointees haven’t jumped into action, the newspaper reported.
“He doesn’t forget, and ultimately erupts when he feels slighted,” a former high-level industry and government official said.
The White House did not respond to the Journal’s requests for comment.
Trump first tossed out the idea of a Space Force in March.
“You know, I was saying it the other day — because we’re doing a tremendous amount of work in space — I said, ‘Maybe we need a new force, we’ll call it the Space Force.’ And I was not really serious, and then I said, ‘What a great idea, maybe we’ll have to do that. That could happen,’ ” Trump said during a speech to military personnel in San Diego
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, Air Force Chief of Staff David Golden and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright all opposed the idea of a separate space branch when the issue was proposed by the House Armed Services Committee last year.
“I oppose the creation of a new military service and additional organizational layers at a time when we are focused on reducing overhead and integrating joint warfighting functions,” Defense Secretary James Mattis wrote in 2017.
Wilson and other senior Air Force commanders reportedly had no idea Trump’s announcement was coming when they met for a strategy session last week.
A new military branch has not been created since the Air Force in 1947.
The head of U.S. Strategic Command told senators in March that now is not the “right” time for a new military service branch.
“I think that someday we’ll have a space corps or Space Force in this country. But I don’t think the time is right for that right now,” Gen. John Hyten told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Mattis said Wednesday that Trump’s directive will require the help of Congress.
“This, as you know, is going to require legislation and a lot of detailed planning and we’ve not yet begun,” Mattis told reporters.