According to officials speaking to the Associated Press, the long fight over the final basing location for U.S. Space Command headquarters ended today with a decision from President Joe Biden.

“The president, they said, believes that keeping the command in Colorado Springs would avoid a disruption in readiness that the move would cause, particularly as the U.S. races to compete with China in space,” the AP reported. “And they said Biden firmly believes that maintaining stability will help the military be better able to respond in space over the next decade.”

This comes despite all government reports indicating Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville as the No. 1 choice across the board – outranking number 5 Colorado Springs.

RELATED: GAO: Alabama 1st, Colorado 5th for Space Command HQ

The AP reported as much. “Huntsville, however, scored higher than Colorado Springs in a Government Accountability Office assessment of potential locations and has long been a home to some of earliest missiles used in the nation’s space programs, including the Saturn V rocket. It is home to the Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command.

Early indications the Biden Administration was attempting to execute this reversal as early as May of this year, with sources telling NBC, “This is all about abortion politics.”

The encouragement to Biden for a final Colorado decision came from Space Command Gen. James Dickinson, rather than Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, as many suspected.

“According to officials, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who ordered his own review of the matter, leaned toward Huntsville, while Dickinson was staunchly in favor of staying put. The officials said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin presented both options to Biden,” The AP reported.

I am outraged to hear that the Secretary of the Air Force allowed politics to circumvent his, and the Department of Defense’s, own basing selection process that determined Huntsville, Alabama as the preferred location of SPACECOM. Huntsville was #1, Colorado Springs was #5! https://t.co/gzJrxmZvjm

— Robert Aderholt (@Robert_Aderholt) July 31, 2023

The most vocal opponent of the move and the delayed decision has been Sen. Tommy Tuberville.

Today, he said Biden engaged in “blatant patronage politics.”

The top three choices for Space Command headquarters were all in red states — Alabama, Nebraska, and Texas. Colorado didn’t even come close.” Tuberville (R-Auburn) said. “This decision to bypass the three most qualified sites looks like blatant patronage politics, and it sets a dangerous precedent that military bases are now to be used as rewards for political supporters rather than for our security. There remain serious questions as to whether the Air Force illegally used taxpayer dollars to upgrade facilities in Colorado Springs. I hope that House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers will continue his investigation into that matter.

“This is absolutely not over. I will continue to fight this as long as it takes to bring Space Command where it would be best served — Huntsville, Alabama.”

Members of Alabama’s congressional delegation are also sounding off on the move.  Rep. Robert Aderholt blasted it by pointing out the official government scorecard.

Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Mike Rogers also released a statement, calling it “shameful” and “egregious political meddling in our national security.”

“Huntsville, Alabama was chosen to be the headquarters of U.S. Space Command because it was the strongest location and investigations by the DoD IG and GAO have upheld this decision. Yet, the Biden administration decided to make Colorado Springs, Colorado, which came in fifth in the Selection Phase, the location of the headquarters for U.S. Space Command. It’s clear that far-left politics, not national security, was the driving force behind this decision.

“The Biden administration’s shameful delay to finalize the permanent basing decision for U.S. Space Command warranted the opening of a Congressional investigation. I will continue this investigation to see if they intentionally misled the Armed Services Committee on their deliberate taxpayer-funded manipulation of the selection process. I will continue to hold the Biden administration accountable for their egregious political meddling in our national security.

“This fight is far from over,” Rogers said.

The fight for Space Command isn’t over. pic.twitter.com/pmo7eBQris

— Dale W. Strong (@RepDaleStrong) July 31, 2023

U.S. Senator Katie Britt released a statement, charging President Biden with, “trying to hand the Gold Medal to the fifth place finisher.”

“President Biden has irresponsibly decided to yank a military decision out of the Air Force’s hands in the name of partisan politics,” Britt said. “Huntsville finished first in both the Air Force’s Evaluation Phase and Selection Phase, leaving no doubt that the Air Force’s decision to choose Redstone as the preferred basing location was correct purely on the merits. That decision should have remained in the Air Force’s purview.”

“The President’s blatant prioritization of partisan political considerations at the expense of our national security, military modernization, and force readiness is a disservice and a dishonor to his oath of office as our nation’s Commander-in-Chief.”

“Locating the permanent Space Command Headquarters on Redstone Arsenal undoubtedly remains in the best national security interest of the United States. President Biden should allow the Air Force to proceed with doing its job. Alabama’s world-class aerospace and defense workforce, capabilities, and synergies stand ready to fulfill the mission and strengthen our national security long into the future.”