NASA has attributed the successful return of astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams to U.S. President Donald Trump. The two astronauts landed safely on March 18 after being stranded in space for nine months due to technical issues with their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Originally planned as a week-long stay at the International Space Station (ISS), their mission was unexpectedly prolonged.
As the astronauts splashed down off Florida’s coast earlier this month, a NASA spokesperson described the mission’s success as a significant achievement for the Trump administration. With Boeing’s spacecraft unable to complete the return journey, Elon Musk’s SpaceX stepped in, deploying a Crew Dragon capsule to bring them back.
Bethany Stevens, speaking to Fox News, emphasized Trump’s role in facilitating the rescue, stating, “This is a huge win for the Trump administration, and it wouldn’t have been possible without his intervention.” She also highlighted the administration’s ongoing space initiatives, including the nomination of entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as NASA’s next administrator.
Stevens compared Trump’s outsider status in politics to Isaacman’s business background, noting that 30 astronauts and several Republican governors have endorsed his leadership at NASA. Trump nominated Isaacman in January 2025 to spearhead the agency’s future space endeavors, aligning with his administration’s ambitious space goals.
