Static in Deep Space: Artemis 2 Crew Meets Trump’s "Awkward" Congratulatory Call with Silence
The Artemis 2 crew’s record-breaking mission was interrupted by an awkward 12-minute call from President Donald Trump. The exchange went viral after the astronauts met the President's claims about "saving" NASA with over a minute of silence.
A historic moment for space exploration took a bizarre turn on Monday night when the four astronauts of the Artemis 2 mission found themselves in a cringeworthy 12-minute conversation with President Donald Trump.
Just hours after breaking the all-time record for the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth, the crew floated in silence as the President used the long-distance call to tout his own role in "saving" NASA.
"I didn't hesitate"
During the call from the White House, Trump claimed that during his first term, he faced a choice between closing the space agency or reviving it. "I had a decision to make: were we going to revive NASA or close it? I didn't hesitate at all," he told the crew. The astronauts, visibly awkward in the zero-gravity broadcast, were seen passing the microphone back and forth without responding to the political claim.
A minute of silence
The interaction has since gone viral, largely due to a segment of jarring silence that lasted over a minute. While the communication link was reportedly functioning perfectly, Trump attempted to blame the lack of response on technical glitches.
The conversation drifted further off-course as the President discussed his friendship with Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. He also appeared to struggle with the name of Canada, referring to it simply as "the neighbor," despite the Canadian flag being clearly visible on astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s uniform.
An invitation to the Oval Office
To close the call, the President invited the crew to visit the Oval Office following their scheduled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean this Friday. He added that he intended to ask the crew for their autographs, noting that it is something he "doesn't usually do."
While NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has urged agency employees to "leave the politics to the politicians," the Artemis 2 crew likely found that navigating deep space was simpler than navigating a live broadcast with the Commander-in-Chief.