In a move that highlights both his patriotism and personal generosity, President Donald Trump has offered to personally pay the overtime wages for two NASA astronauts who were stranded in space for nearly nine months due to a delayed return mission.
Astronauts Barry “Butch” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams launched in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft expecting to spend just over a week aboard the International Space Station (ISS). But after technical issues with their spacecraft, the pair were forced to remain in orbit for an astonishing 286 days—nearly a year longer than planned.
Trump Steps In to Do What the Government Wouldn’t
Despite the extreme nature of the mission extension, the astronauts received no overtime pay. As federal employees, NASA astronauts are bound by outdated government pay structures that grant them a mere $5 per day for incidentals while deployed, regardless of duration. For nearly 10 months in orbit, that totals just $1,430.
President Trump was outraged when informed of the situation.
“If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket,” he declared. “These are American heroes. They risked their lives in space, and they deserve better than five bucks a day.”
Trump praised the astronauts’ courage and sacrifice, emphasizing how physically demanding long-term space missions are.
“The human body starts breaking down in zero gravity after a few weeks. These two were up there for nearly a year. They deserve to be honored, not stiffed.”
“If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket.”
Trump offers to pay for the overtime of the two rescued astronauts, who apparently received just $5 per day in per diem for their extra time. pic.twitter.com/3mYY3aS07f
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) March 21, 2025
Private Sector to the Rescue – Literally
The rescue operation to bring the astronauts home was ultimately carried out by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, whose Dragon capsule successfully returned them to Earth after Boeing’s Starliner proved incapable of performing the return trip.
Trump applauded Musk’s decisive role in the mission, noting how private innovation once again stepped in where bloated federal bureaucracy failed.
“Elon did a great job. SpaceX saved the day. This is why public-private partnerships matter—and why we need less red tape and more results.”
Rethinking How We Treat American Heroes
This situation has reignited the conversation around NASA’s outdated compensation policies, especially in the context of deep space missions becoming more frequent and more complex. Under Trump’s leadership, there’s growing pressure to modernize how America supports its astronauts, ensuring they’re treated with the respect and dignity they’ve earned.
Bottom Line
President Trump’s offer to personally step in where the federal government failed shows real leadership and unwavering support for American heroes. While bureaucrats argued over policy, Trump took action—just as he always has.
When it comes to honoring sacrifice, Trump delivers.