Trump Holds Oval Office Press Conference Announcing Space Command Relocation

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2025 - President Donald Trump returned to the White House briefing room for his first public remarks in a week, convening a press conference at 2 p.m. ET in the Oval Office to unveil a major Department of Defense decision and address speculation about his health.

In his opening statement, Trump declared that he would relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama, reversing a 2023 decision by the previous administration. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the move as an “exciting announcement related to the Department of Defense,” though she provided no further details on the timeline or cost implications.

During the question-and-answer session, reporters pressed the president on recent rumors concerning his health. At one point, cameras briefly caught a prominent bruise on the back of his right hand, visible when he removed a hand covering-an injury his team attributes to frequent handshakes and aspirin use. Trump insisted he is in “excellent health,” quipping that extensive public scrutiny was merely “proof that people care” about his well-being.

Several questions also touched on domestic policy. Trump reiterated his intention to bolster federal enforcement in cities like Chicago, once again labeling it “the most dangerous city in the world” and promising to “make it safe again” through expanded National Guard deployments. He defended the federal surge as a model that has already succeeded in Washington, D.C.

The president concluded by reaffirming his commitment to a strong national defense ethos, hinting at future proposals to rename the Department of Defense the “Department of War” to better reflect an “offensive” posture-language he first floated during a Cabinet meeting last month.

This press conference marks Trump’s return to direct engagement with the press since a three-hour televised Cabinet session on August 26 and follows days of intense online speculation about both his policy intentions and personal health.