Trump Welcomes Artemis II Astronauts at the White House
President Donald Trump greeted the Artemis II crew at the White House on Wednesday, shortly after their historic journey around the moon, which has captivated generations.
In the Oval Office, Commander Reed Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen met with the president in front of reporters.
“These individuals have not only impressed our country but the whole world. Their bravery was astonishing,” Trump remarked. “I’ve never witnessed anything like it.”
He continued, “I can’t imagine doing what they do. I really don’t want to. But we absolutely need people like this to keep our country great.” Trump emphasized that everyone he knew was eager to see the launch and, more importantly, the successful landing.
During the event, Trump humorously inquired if he could be part of a future mission. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman responded playfully, “Mr. President, we can work on it.”
The press conference lasted about 22 minutes. Meanwhile, White House Deputy Director of Communications Kaylan Dole noted on X that no questions were posed to the astronauts by the media during this time.
Dole remarked, “Four American heroes stand behind the president and the reporters aren’t asking any questions about their monumental mission. It’s quite unfortunate.”
Moreover, White House communications director Stephen Chan criticized the lack of engagement from the press, stating, “These astronauts deserve recognition. This shows the press’s indifference.”
One reporter took a moment to welcome the astronauts, sharing that he had previously interviewed Gene Cernan, the last person to walk on the moon. He posed an interesting question, likely aimed at either the president or the astronauts: “Is that something you’d want to do, and do you think it will get done in your second term, Mr. President?”
The direction of his question was somewhat ambiguous. President Trump replied, “We have that opportunity. I don’t want to jinx it… but I think we can say we’re on track.”
Another reporter brought up the highly anticipated release of UFO files. Trump acknowledged the public’s curiosity surrounding the topic, saying, “People have had this on their minds for a long time… They want information regarding UFOs and related materials.” He assured that a lot of information would be made public and suggested some of it could be quite intriguing.
Trump concluded, “I’ve mainly conducted interviews in my first term and heard from pilots, solid individuals, who have seen things that are truly unbelievable.”
