Trump Hosts Artemis II Astronauts at White House After 10-Day Moon Mission

President Donald Trump met NASA’s Artemis II astronauts at the White House on Wednesday, hosting the crew shortly after their historic 10-day mission around the Moon.

“President Trump Welcomes Artemis II Astronauts to the White House | Video | C-SPAN”

C-SPAN

The astronauts present were Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, all of whom attended the White House event.

CNN

Trump asked, “Is a president allowed to go on a space mission?” during his interaction with the crew, and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman replied, “We can get working on it, Mr President.”

The Times of India described the meeting as taking place after the Artemis II astronauts’ “historic 10-day mission around the Moon,” and it said the crew had recently completed Artemis II, “the first crewed journey around the Moon in more than 50 years.”

The Guardian likewise said Trump hosted the four astronauts at the White House on Wednesday, with the meeting described as a celebratory Oval Office event and press conference.

The Guardian reported that the crew broke Apollo 13’s distance record earlier this month, reaching 252,756 miles (406,771km).

The Guardian also said the mission ended off the coast of San Diego on 10 April as the Orion capsule, dubbed Integrity, made a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean after its 10-day lunar odyssey.

Multiple outlets tied the White House visit to the Artemis II mission’s specific milestones and dates, describing how the crew’s return set up the next phase of the lunar program.

The Guardian said the Artemis II crew “broke Apollo 13’s distance record for the farthest distance traveled from Earth during their mission earlier this month,” and it gave the distance as 252,756 miles (406,771km) while noting the 1970 record of 248,655 miles.

France 24

It also reported that the mission ended off the coast of San Diego on 10 April, with the Orion capsule “made a textbook splashdown in the Pacific Ocean after its 10-day lunar odyssey.”

France 24, citing AFP, said Trump told reporters he believes NASA has a “good shot” at returning astronauts to the Moon’s surface before he leaves the White House at the start of 2029, and it repeated Trump’s line, “Oh, we have a shot at it.”

The Times of India said Artemis II tested “critical systems including life support, navigation and radiation shielding,” and it described the broader plan to “return humans to the lunar surface and prepare for future Mars missions.”

CNN described the event as taking place Wednesday afternoon at the White House Oval Office, with the astronauts standing behind Trump at the Resolute Desk while reporters were brought in.

USA Today added that Trump’s meeting with the four Artemis II astronauts was scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on April 29, and it said the astronauts returned April 10 after a flyby over the moon’s far side on April 6.

The White House meeting also became a platform for discussion of NASA’s plans and the political constraints around them, with outlets describing both the optimism and the skepticism.

France 24 said Trump emphasized he did not want to guarantee success, quoting him: “I mean, we don't like to say 'definitely,' because then you say, 'oh, we failed,'” and it reported that he added, “I think we have a good shot.”

France 24 also said Isaacman told Trump, “we have an achievable plan to go back to the Moon,” while it noted that “experts have voiced skepticism” about whether the lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin would be ready in time.

The Times of India reported that Trump said he believed NASA had a strong chance of achieving a Moon landing during his current term, which ends in 2029, and it quoted him: “Oh, we have a shot at it.”

The Guardian connected the Artemis celebration to budget politics, saying Trump previously congratulated NASA while making no mention of his desire to impose severe cuts, and it reported that earlier this month Trump announced an intention to slash NASA’s budget by 23%, including a 46% cut for space science initiatives.

CNN described the event as Trump talking UFOs, the Space Force, and the Iran war while the astronauts stood behind him, and it said Trump reiterated his intention to release classified material related to UFOs and said there was a “good shot” that another person would walk on the moon during his presidency.

USA Today said the meeting comes as the White House’s proposed budget for NASA would again attempt to significantly slash funding to the agency, with most of the cuts targeting science programs, and it said congressional leaders previously rejected a similar proposal and opted to maintain NASA’s funding.

As the White House event shifted from lunar milestones to broader politics, outlets described Trump using the Artemis visit to address multiple national issues, including the Voting Rights Act, Iran, and UFOs.

The Guardian reported that discussion “did not stay on the astronauts and their accomplishments for very long,” quickly moving to the Supreme Court’s decision from earlier that day effectively gutting a major section of the Voting Rights Act, and it said the court rendered ineffective section 2 in a 6-3 decision along partisan lines.

National News Desk

The Guardian quoted Trump celebrating when a journalist confirmed the ruling was a “win for Republicans,” with Trump saying, “I love it, this is very good,” and it reported he added, “We can end this news conference right now. I want to read it.”

The Guardian also said Trump advised that some states should redraw their maps due to the ruling, and it quoted him: “Generally, I would think that they would want to do it. Some are greatly helped, and some, it didn’t make much difference.”

CNN similarly described the event as “somewhat freewheeling,” with Trump fielding questions on Iran, and it said he talked UFOs and the Space Force while the astronauts stood by with neutral expressions.

CNN quoted Trump saying, “We don’t like to say definitely, because then you say, ‘Oh, we failed,’” and it also said Isaacman confirmed efforts to send a person to the moon’s surface again in 2028 and detailed plans for Artemis III in 2027.

France 24 reported that Trump said the US was still in talks with Iran but that “no longer will these discussions be face-to-face,” and it quoted Trump describing the shift to phone calls: “We’re not flying any more, with 18-hour flights every time we want to see a piece of paper.”

Beyond space policy, the outlets described Trump using the Artemis II reception to discuss UFOs, ongoing wars, and future disclosures, while also tying those remarks back to the timing of his presidency.

The Guardian reported that when the conference turned to current wars, Trump said the US was still in talks with Iran but that “no longer will these discussions be face-to-face,” and it quoted him saying, “We’re doing it telephonically, and it’s very nice.”

NBC News

The Guardian also reported that Trump said he would release as much information as possible on UFOs in the near future, adding that he thinks “some of it’s going to be very interesting to people.”

CNN similarly said Trump talked UFOs and the Iran war during the Oval Office event, and it described him reiterating his intention to release classified material related to UFOs.

CNN also said Trump insisted that former FBI Director James Comey had threatened his life with a social media post, and it reported that Trump said the end of wars in Ukraine and Iran would probably happen on a “similar timetable.”

The Guardian further reported that when asked whether the war on Iran or Ukraine would end first, Trump appeared to mix up the two countries, saying: “I think Ukraine, militarily, they’re defeated,” and it included his additional claims about ships and aircraft, including “They had 159 ships.”

USA Today described the next steps in the Artemis sequence, saying Artemis III is slated for sometime in 2027 and that the first human moon landing could occur in 2028 during Artemis IV, while also describing the plan for commercial robotic landings and a long-term objective to construct a moon base on the south pole.