Elon Musk’s SpaceX rescued two NASA astronauts on Tuesday who had been stranded at the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months, ending another controversy that crept up during the Biden administration.
The two astronauts rocketed into space last June for a mission that was only supposed to last eight days. But the astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were left stranded after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft was forced to return to Earth unmanned due to helium leaks. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft finally rescued the astronauts following mounting public outcry.
In a February interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Musk alleged that former President Joe Biden left the astronauts stranded in space for “political reasons” and revealed that Trump requested SpaceX’s assistance to bring them back. Trump explained that Musk “didn’t have the go-ahead with Biden.”
“We offered to bring them back early,” Musk said in a later interview on Joe Rogan’s podcast. “This offer was rejected by the Biden administration.”
Musk added that “there is no way they’re going to make anyone who supported Trump look good.” He explained that the Biden administration pushed the date for SpaceX’s rescue mission past Trump’s inauguration day for this reason. NASA relied on SpaceX to bring the astronauts back and did not have another alternative, according to Musk.
Trump fulfilled his promise to bring the astronauts back with a splashdown Tuesday evening in the Gulf of America. The mission was a success with no issues. NASA astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov were also in the spacecraft on the trip back.
Trump celebrated the successful landing by sharing a video of the splashdown on Truth Social.
“PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months,” the official White House account posted on X. “Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to @ElonMusk, @SpaceX, and @NASA!”
Biden received widespread criticism for his handling of the situation after the swift action from Trump.
“For seven months, Joe Biden left two American astronauts stranded in space rather than hand Elon Musk a win by asking SpaceX to bring them home,” Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk posted on X. “It took President Trump less than two months to fix the problem. This is what happens when you put America first, both on Earth and in space.”
Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris have not commented on SpaceX’s successful mission. “The Biden administration reportedly didn’t want to bring the astronauts back by using SpaceX,” media personality Dave Rubin posted online. “So they just left them stranded in space for 9 months. Elon is now bringing them home. Kamala probably suggested they just walk back.”
The corporate media was already attempting to discredit Trump’s accomplishment shortly after the successful mission, with The Washington Post declaring the president “had little to do” with the rescue. But regardless of attempts to downplay the achievements, the astronauts said that they have “the utmost respect for Mr. Musk and obviously respect and admiration for our president of the United States, Donald Trump. We appreciate them, we appreciate all that they do for us.”
Alan Jamison is the pen name of a political writer with extensive experience writing for several notable politicians and news outlets.
Again — AMAZING — MSM ignoring the true facts and electing to print false information to continue to misinform the public. WHAT A TRAVESTY !!!
God Bless both of the brave Astronauts, Elon Musk, President Trump and God Bless America.
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This “rescue” was amazing and brought tears to my eyes (I was very young when moon mission happened and last time watched the shuttle blow up-bad karma). MSNBC apparently didn’t even cover this. No wonder FOX is now the highest rated legacy media channel. I watch Newsmax mostly. I cannot believe that Americans are still being brainwashed by the outright lying on most Dems featured on the mainstream media channels. At least FOX has Dems on, sometimes, even if they are wrong most of the time.
Another politicized incident by Biden and the democrats. They couldn’t do it or refused help from Elon Musk, because he was the enemy. I even heard one democrat say this was not a rescue there was a vehicle stationed at ISS they could have used anytime to come home. Well isn’t that a big lie. Does he really think that NASA would leave those astronauts up there for political reasons? Then Biden should have been the bigger person and order NASA to bring them back. The lies the dems and the progressive left comes up with. I bawled my eyes out when I saw that capsule descent into the Gulf of America. It was a perfect rescue. Every American should be grateful that there was a way to get them home. Only Biden and the deep state didn’t care. None of them do. Trump’s address to congress proved that. Thank you Mr. President and Mr. Musk.
If the thanks are being given to the TRUMP administration tell me again why the Biden administration wouldn’t have received accolades for bringing our astronauts back to terra firma?
I’ve been so concerned about those two….who never expected to be away from their families that long or even EARTH that long. God Bless people (Mr. Musk) who have the skills and heart and equipment to rescue them. I remember Musk asking for permission to go get them last year, but brandon refused. I guess he was hoping this mission would fail when it happened in ‘Trump Time.’ And, Thank You Lord for a safe mission!!! They looked very happy to be back.
An evil Biden denied Musk’s help before 2024 election for political reason. Where was our lying fake news hard left MSM then?
AOC says Musk is “stupid” but I didn’t see her launching any rockets into space.
IGNORE the haters and do what has to be done for the greater good. Musk & Trump, we offer love and respect for the sacrifice of your lives, time, livelihood and own personal freedoms.
Very cool — the rescue — makes space travel look simple
What did Biden say to NASA Admin NOT to recover crew?
Bribe, extortion, threat or would have been done MONTHs ago
If, as someone on this comment board has fantasized, there was a mission to rescue these stranded astronauts before Trump was elected president then WHY WAS IT NOT DONE? Why did traitor Joe Biden and clueless Kamala Harris not bring them home before being abandoned for nine months. Then they could have shared with Musk and Space X in both the joy and great achievement Oh, and news flash for the same aforementioned person, it was the American taxpayer who paid to send the astronauts to the space station in the first place just as we will pay for all the millions of money wasted by demented Joe and clueless Kamala. Pour yourself another glass of kool-Aid and drink up. .
Kamala ! well you no ah they ah all they needed to do was ah call us and we could send a yellow school bus , every body likes a yellow school bus , they could set up front on the yellow school bus. and they would be home now.
And a pod of dolphins were there just in case the astronauts needed any help in the water.
Biden’s decision why,……because his mind had been in outer space during his entire term!!
Musk and Trump rack up success after success. Tampon Tim, Chuckie, and gang [literally] accomplish NOTHING for America!
Send Biden into space and let him stay there for a year or so…..or forever. No one would miss him.
Prayers answered! God not only brought the astronauts home safely, he sent a calm sea, a pod of dolphins and a beautiful sunset. Praise the Lord!
It was pitiful how the legacy media ignored this story.
What President Trump had “to do” with this mission is OK it! He put his trust in Elon Musk and the Dragon and his trust was warranted. The astronauts are back safely after their unnecessarily long time in the space station due essentially to the Joe Biden ego as were so many things that governed his decisions.
This “rescue” was a mission planned before Trump was president, and paid for by the US taxpayers. Musk profited from it.
Quit believing the lies.