US President Donald Trump on Tuesday celebrated the return of Nasa astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who were stranded in space for over nine months, taking credit for their safe homecoming.
The White House’s official X account posted, “PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Today, they safely splashed down in the Gulf of America, thanks to @ElonMusk, @SpaceX, and @Nasa!”
Meanwhile Donald Trump also shared a video on X of the splashdown with the caption, “USA! More winning.”
The two astronauts, originally sent to space aboard Boeing’s troubled Starliner capsule in June last year, faced unexpected delays and had to remain on the International Space Station far beyond their planned mission. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon ultimately brought them back, splashing down off the Florida coast on Tuesday.
Sunita Williams is back
Trump had previously criticised the Biden administration over the astronauts’ prolonged stay, urging Musk to accelerate their return. In January, he issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America," a move that was widely seen as symbolic.
Wilmore and Williams’ extended space mission and unexpected delay captured public attention, with their return now becoming part of a political debate. While Nasa maintains that their return was planned according to safety protocols, Trump’s posts signal his intent to use the event as a political victory.
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