President Donald Trump frequently goes off-script and launches into long-winded tirades during speeches, meetings and other public appearances.
It happened again Friday, during an event in Texas honoring the crew of the historic Artemis II moon mission. During the trip four months ago, the four astronauts successfully traveled further from Earth than any human before.
Trump presented the group with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor at an awards ceremony at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
But the visit took a bizarre turn when Trump launched into a tangent about space and one of his relatives, absurdly claiming his genetics predispose him to “love” space.
“I had an uncle who was a great scientist, a great man. He was at MIT for 41 years. Dr. John Trump,” the president bragged.
“And he loved space. He used to tell me about space, space, all space. He would throw in the word nuclear every once in a while,” Trump crowed nonsensically.
“He loved space. So, I guess we have genetically, we sort of, I believe in that stuff. I love it. I find it so interesting, so amazing,” the president rambled before trying to find his place again on his teleprompter.
He then proceeded to butcher the names of the Artemis crew as his audience, all dressed in blue flight suits, could barely keep their eyes open in the background behind him.
Trump referred there to his late uncle John Trump, a physicist and engineer.
The publication “Physics Today” described the scientist as having “made his mark on high-voltage generators, World War II radars, and cancer therapy.”
It added, “His cerebral, collaborative approach to his work stands in striking contrast to his nephew’s brash presidential campaign,” referring to Trump’s first run for the White House in 2015.
Social media exploded in disbelief at Trump’s boasting, scornfully calling him out and warning he’s risking isolating his MAGA voters.
“We believe in space? Trump needs to be careful: if he starts believing in factual science, he might really fall out of line with Fox News and his MAGA base,” an X user proclaimed.
Another bluntly pointed out the vast differences between Trump and the longtime MIT professor.
“Trump & his uncle couldn’t be more different. John Trump was committed to rigorous scientific testing and evidence. Donald Trump is committed to pulling bullsh-t out of his ass and spreading falsehoods. The only space Trump knows anything about is the empty one between his ears.”
Others chimed in.
“The empty space in Trump’s head is expanding like the universe. That’s all he has in common with the cosmos.”
A commenter also sympathized with the audience. “All those highly intelligent people having to listen to that rambling drivel.”
This poster may have summed up what was on plenty of people’s minds. “He’s a moron!!”
NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen all received the prestigious Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
The group is in good company.
Since 1978, officials have awarded the honor to 34 people, including legendary astronauts John Glenn and Neil Armstrong and the crews who died in the Columbia and Challenger space shuttle disasters.
