09 03 25 iHeartRadio's Jon Decker on Trump Space Command Oval Office announcement

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Colorado's Morning News yesterday, hours before he stepped foot into
the Oval Office for President Trump's official announcement on that
Space command move.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
John joins us now here on the KA Common Spirit
Health hotline. You were there, you probably heard the press
conference of conversation. What do you make of everything, John.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
Yeah, obviously extremely disappointing for Colorado, for Colorado's springs. In fact,
the Colorado Congressional delegation putting out a joint statement criticizing
this move by the administration. But I was in the
Oval Office, as you point out, yesterday when the President
made this announcement. The entire Republican Congressional delegation from Alabama

(00:38):
was on hand. They're very pleased. They say that this
will create a significant number of jobs, will benefit Huntsville economically,
and will provide an estimated four hundred million dollars plus
in cost savings. So that's what I heard yesterday from
the President. I asked the President about whether or not

(00:58):
and how this will provide a strategic benefit to our nation,
our nation's national security, and the President answered that question,
spelled that out. We also heard from Defense Secretary Pete
Hegseth yesterday in the Oval Office as well.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
John, what were some of the unknowns maybe some of
the questions that were asked that we didn't really get
a real concrete answer, specifically when we're talking Space Command
when it came from the President.

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Well, we don't know exact timing, you know, there is
an exact timing as to when all of this will
take place. It's not like you can, you know, just
have a moving van, you know, like you and I
would would have if we're moving to a new home.
This takes time. And you know, setting up a command
like Space Command in a place literally halfway across the

(01:43):
country takes time to do all of that. I'm told
this is in a matter of years that everything will
be moved to Alabama. But in the meantime, devastating news
obviously for the state of Colorado.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
I know, the administration always likes to point to fraud, waste,
and abuse, and in this case, it seems like it's
an awful lot of money to make this moves, especially
if they always keep chirping about the amount of money
being spent for government things.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Well, they claim the amount of cost savings. I you know,
and I'm not in a position to challenge our question
that you know, others that know these things very well
would be able to weigh in better on that, including
members of your congressional delegation. But that's what they claim,
and whether that's true or not, you know, I think
that that is something that can be looked into in

(02:31):
terms of Congressional oversight hearings. I mean, that is a
big function of Congress to make certain that our tax
tax dollars are being spent reasonably and in such a
way that there isn't that, as you call it, waste,
fraud or abuse.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
And John, wrapping up with you, tell us a little
bit about some of the other topics that were covered
in the Oval Office yesterday, even a moment where President
Trump clarified some of the rumors that were being talked
about on social media over the weekend.

Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, there were some rumors, as you know, about the
president's health, and the President said he was aware of them,
but you know, he said, look, you know that was
fake news, and he was right, it was fake news
as it relates to the president's health. He went golfing
a few times this past Labor Day weekend. That was
one topic that came up. I asked the President his
reaction to the news that came out late Friday regarding

(03:22):
that federal appellate court ruling that the president's so called
reciprocal tariffs are illegal. The President indicating to me that
the administration plans to file an appeal for and expedited
hearing with the US Supreme Court. So that's something that
I'm following very closely.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
And John quickly, did he talk about sending the National
Guard into Chicago Hall, He did address some of that,
did he not?

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Well, he did, you know, no timing on that, but
the President indicated that is his intention, even though it's
pretty clear from Illinoi's governor that the National Guard will
not be invited into his state. So we'll continue to
watch that Cient has also threatened sending the National Guard
to the city of Baltimore in Maryland as well, and

(04:05):
that Democratic Governor Wes Moore also has said that the
National Guard will not be invited into his date.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
iHeartRadio White House correspondent. It's John Decker. John, your hunch
on it being space comman was true, and we appreciate
you sharing that news on KOA yesterday.

Speaker 3 (04:21):
Absolutely anytime, thanks for having me. I appreciate it.