Colorado’s junior Democratic senator on Wednesday claimed President Trump politicized the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters to Alabama while Trump was “walking out the door” of the White House.

Sen. John Hickenlooper was responding to the NBC News report that the Biden administration plans to reverse Trump’s move to make Alabama the permanent headquarters for Space Command.

The report, which cited unnamed Biden administration officials, said the Biden White House is set to announce that Space Command will remain in Colorado Springs because of Alabama’s harsh abortion ban that only allows the procedure in cases where the mother’s life is in danger.

“This [report] focuses on the extreme abortion laws in AL and Sen. [Tommy] Tuberville’s decision to bar military promotions – a hold that directly affects military readiness,” Hickenlooper tweeted Wednesday. “But we can’t conflate those issues with Space Command for the simple reason that our military shouldn’t be politicized.”

Hickenlooper also criticized NBC News for not sourcing any Colorado officials in the report while citing voices from the Biden administration and Alabama officials.

Colorado’s junior senator also said Trump’s decision to have Huntsville be the headquarters for Space Command was fueled by politics and that two reviews found the process “minimally credible.”

“The *acting* secretary of the Air Force for the *final six days* of the *Trump* administration made this call.,” Hickenlooper said. “These details are the exact reason WHY this whole decision raised so many red flags – it was decided as Trump was walking out the door!”

Tuberville, who was referenced in Hickenlooper’s tweetstorm, disputed his colleague’s characterization:

“Nice speech ... but the facts are clear — and the facts are on Alabama’s side,” he said.

“U.S. Space Command belongs in Huntsville.”

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