Trump hijacks moon call, praises gretzky over astronauts' feat
A historic moment for space exploration was overshadowed on Monday night when former President Donald Trump commandeered a call with the crew of Artemis II, who were celebrating a record-breaking moon flyby. The 12-minute exchange, facilitated by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, quickly devolved into a rambling monologue filled with self-praise and anecdotes about retired hockey star Wayne Gretzky.
A distraction from the cosmos
The Artemis II crew, having just achieved the farthest distance from Earth ever traveled by humans, found themselves listening to Trump’s extended musings on his own perceived role in saving NASA and his personal connections to Canadian celebrities. The awkwardness was palpable, with crew members reportedly passing the microphone to each other in zero gravity as Trump continued to steer the conversation away from their monumental achievement.
“You know, I had a decision to make in my first term,” Trump declared, “What are we going to do at NASA? Are we going to have it be revived, or are we going to close it down? And I had very little hesitation.” This claim, despite his consistent efforts to slash NASA's overall budget, raised eyebrows amongst space policy experts. Just weeks ago, the White House proposed a 24% budget cut for NASA, a move swiftly rebuffed by Congress.
The disconnect between Trump’s rhetoric and his actions is striking. While he touts his support for human spaceflight programs like Artemis, his proposed budget cuts would severely cripple the agency's scientific endeavors. The recent congressional pushback against these cuts underscores the bipartisan support for NASA’s broader mission – a mission seemingly at odds with the former president's narrow focus on symbolic gestures.
Throughout the call, Trump repeatedly interjected with stories about Gretzky, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and his alleged conversations with other Canadian acquaintances, further diverting attention from the astronauts’ accomplishments. At one point, after a lengthy tangent about Canadian pride, Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman could be heard saying, “Yes, Mr. President, we heard that.”
Isaacman, seemingly eager to manage the situation, attempted a “comms check” – a transparent attempt to regain control of the conversation. But even that proved futile as Trump continued to reminisce about his Canadian connections.
The call concluded with Trump inviting the Artemis II crew to an Oval Office reception after their scheduled splashdown this Friday, adding, “I’ll ask for your autograph, because I don’t really ask for autographs much, but you deserve that.” A somewhat bewildered Victor Glover, responding on behalf of the crew, simply stated, “When you want us, we will be there.”
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the increasingly blurred lines between political spectacle and scientific achievement, and the challenges of maintaining focus on substantive issues amidst the noise of partisan politics. The Artemis II mission, a testament to human ingenuity and international collaboration, deserves to be celebrated for its own merits, not overshadowed by the self-serving pronouncements of a former president.