JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND — Flanked by two F-35 fighter jets and in front of a giant American flag, President Trump on Friday signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

It officially created the Space Force, the sixth and first new military branch since 1947.

“For the first time since Truman, we will create a brand new American military service,” Trump said. “You will witness the birth of the Space Force. That’s a big moment and we’re all here for it.”

The creation of the Space Force marked the achievement of one of the president’s top national priorities.

“Space is the world’s newest warfighting domain,” Trump added. “American superiority in space is absolutely vital.”

The new branch will reside inside the Air Force.

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President Trump’s full comments are below:

For the first time since President Harry Truman created the Air Force over 70 years ago — think of that — we will create a brand-new American military service. That’s such a momentous statement: 70 years ago, the Air Force.

With my signature today, you will witness the birth of the Space Force, and that will be now officially the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces. That is something really incredible. It’s a big moment. That’s a big moment, and we’re all here for it. Space. Going to be a lot of things happening in space.

Because space is the world’s newest warfighting domain. Amid grave threats to our national security, American superiority in space is absolutely vital. And we’re leading, but we’re not leading by enough. But very shortly, we’ll be leading by a lot.

The Space Force will help us deter aggression and control the ultimate high ground.

I particularly want to thank Vice President Mike Pence. He was so involved in this with me. This was a — a real — we had the spirit, the love that — I think we can say, Mike, that we both had for this project. Because we realized how important it is to our military, to our future, to our defense — so important. And it’s going to blend in magnificently with everything else that we have. So, I want to thank Mike Pence. Mike, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Great job, Mike.

It was nearly half a century from Kitty Hawk to the creation of the Air Force. And now it’s 50 years after Apollo 11 that we create the Space Force. With today’s signing, I will proudly appoint General Jay Raymond the first Chief of Space Operations. And he will become the very first member of the Space Force. And he will be on the Joint Chiefs. He will be on the Joint Chiefs, which we’re now expanding by one position. That’s a very powerful position. So, General Raymond, congratulations, and thank you for you everything you’ve done.

The Supreme Court has already pointed out that the Constitution doesn’t require the “additional procedural requirements” that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is apparently demanding from the Senate before it tries the impeachment of President Trump.

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