President Donald Trump announced his willingness to personally compensate astronauts after learning they received minimal pay for their extended mission. During a Friday press conference in the Oval Office, Fox News’s Peter Doocy highlighted that the astronauts only received an additional $1,430 for nine extra months in space, equating to just $5 per day.
“They got $5 a day per diem for 286 days. That is $1,430 in extra pay. Is there anything the administration can do to… make them whole?” Doocy asked Trump.
The president expressed surprise at the situation. “Well, nobody’s ever mentioned this to me,” Trump responded. “If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket, okay? I’ll get it for ’em. I’ll take care of it. I like that. I think that’s good. I’ll pay it right out of my–is that all? That’s not a lot for what they had to go through.”
Trump also commended SpaceX CEO Elon Musk for ensuring the astronauts’ safe return from the International Space Station. “And I want to thank Elon Musk, by the way, because think if we don’t have him. You know, there’s only so long—even though they’re in the capsule up there—the body starts to deteriorate after nine or ten months and gets really bad after fourteen, fifteen months, with the bones and the blood… And if we don’t have Elon, they could be up there a long time. Who else is going to get them? And I just want to thank him.”
The president further addressed the recent arson attacks on Tesla properties, stating that Musk has endured significant challenges. “He’s going through a lot, what they’re doing to him, and these people are going to be caught… and they’re going to be prosecuted. And from what they tell me, I see this just by watching your programs and reading the news, but from what they tell me, they can get 20 years in jail, and they’ll get it, I’ll tell you. There’s going to be no leniency and there’ll be no pardons, I can tell you that right now.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday that three individuals have been charged for their alleged involvement in arson attacks on Tesla properties across the country.
“The days of committing crimes without consequence have ended,” Bondi stated in a press release. “Let this be a warning: if you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties, the Department of Justice will put you behind bars.”
