US President Donald joked that he would have little difficulty qualifying as an astronaut during a White House event that honours NASA's Artemis II crew. The remarks came as Trump welcomed the astronauts following their recent lunar flyby mission, which marked a major milestone in the Artemis program.
During the event, Trump praised the crew's intelligence and bravery before turning the focus to himself. He said astronauts need to be smart and physically capable, then added that he would have 'no trouble' making it because he was in strong physical shape.
Event Honouring Artemis II Quickly Shifted Focus
Artemis II crew - Commander Reid Wiseman, along with mission specialists Jeremy Hansen and Christina Koch, and pilot Victor Glover - joined the President in the Oval Office for a celebration and subsequent press briefing on Wednesday, 29 April.
'We're very proud of these people. They have unbelievable courage, unbelievable a lot of other things too,' Trump said before shifting the focus to himself. He quickly added that astronauts need to be highly intelligent and physically capable, noting that they must meet demanding requirements, before transitioning to self-referential remarks.
'To get in there, you have to be very smart, have to do a lot of things physically good. So I would have had no trouble making it, I'm physically very, very good. Maybe a little bit of a problem. We'll have to try it.'
Reports noted that the crew has set a new distance record for a crewed lunar mission before returning safely to Earth earlier this month. The mission wrapped up near San Diego on 10 April, when the Orion spacecraft known as Integrity landed safely in the Pacific after spending 10 days travelling around the Moon, per The Guardian.
Social Media Reacts to Trump's Space Ambitions
Reaction to Trump's statement was swift, with supporters framing the comment as another example of his playful confidence. Some, however, argued that the joke overshadowed the accomplishments of the Artemis II crew and turned a ceremonial event into yet another personality-driven news cycle.
The episode also highlighted a familiar pattern in Trump-era politics where official events often generate headlines less for their stated purpose and more for the president's unscripted remarks.
Artemis II Success Pushes NASA Lunar Goals
The Artemis II mission marked a major milestone in NASA's long-term plan to return humans to the Moon, serving as a key stepping stone toward the agency's goal of a crewed lunar landing targeted for 2028.
Trump expressed cautious optimism about the possibility of overseeing a return to the Moon during his second term, suggesting that success would depend on continued progress from NASA leadership. 'We have a shot at it,' the president remarked. 'I think with this team and, you know, with Jared's done such an amazing job at NASA, I think we have a good shot, right?'
The president added, 'I like space. You know, I started Space Force, as you very well know. It's going to turn out to be one of our most important things. I think it'll turn out to be one of the most important things they did. Well is it worth it?' It's really worth it because what's happened militarily, you see what we're doing militarily. A lot of that comes from space.'
