Donald Trump praises Artemis astronauts: ‘You’ve made history’

Trump praises Artemis astronauts for historic lunar mission, celebrating their courage and America's leadership in space exploration.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday (April 6, 2026) called and congratulated the Artemis astronauts circling the Moon for making “history,” telling them they’ve “made all America really proud, incredibly proud.”

“You really are modern-day pioneers — all of you,” Mr. Trump said, before launching into a friendly interview of sorts with the three Americans and one Canadian who are on a historic 10-day mission around Earth’s natural satellite.

“You’ve got a lot of courage doing what you’re doing,” Mr. Trump said, lavishing praise on NASA’s first lunar flyby in more than 50 years.

“America will be second to none in space and everything we’re doing, and we will continue to lead the whole thing into the stars, this incredible journey into the stars,” Mr. Trump said, crediting himself with choosing to save the space program.

Mr. Trump then conducted a brief question-and-answer session, asking what the dark side of the moon was like and how it felt to go incommunicado with Earth during that part of the space flight.

“I said a little prayer, but then I had to keep rolling,” Artemis pilot Victor Glover responded. “I was actually recording scientific observations of the far side of the Moon.”