President Trump Vows To Fairly Compensate “Stranded” Astronauts With His Own Money
on Mar 21, 2025
Suni Williams And Butch Wilmore Make Safe Return Home After 286 Days Stuck In Space
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore spent the last nine months stuck in space before finally being brought home. Now, many people are calling for them to be properly compensated for what they went through.
For those who may not know the full story, Williams and Wilmore began their mission on June 5, 2024, aboard the Boeing Starliner capsule. Their trip to the International Space Station (ISS) was supposed to last just over a week, with their return to Earth scheduled for June 14, 2024.
But as we now know, things didn’t go as planned.
The Starliner started having multiple issues, leading NASA to decide to bring the capsule back to Earth by remote control.
However, Williams and Wilmore couldn’t be on board due to safety concerns. This left them “stranded” in space with no quick way home.
After nine months, a solution for their safe return was finally put in place. Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX, sent a used capsule named Dragon to bring Williams and Wilmore home.
On Monday, March 17, Dragon left the ISS with the two astronauts on board, heading back to Earth. They landed off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, the next day and were finally reunited with their families.
Trump Says He Will Pay The “Stranded” Astronauts Overtime From His Own Pocket
After spending 286 days in space, many people have questioned how much Williams and Wilmore earned as astronauts, especially after being stuck for so long.
NASA has opened up about astronauts’ salaries before. In a statement quoted by PEOPLE, NASA confirmed that astronauts aboard the ISS get a regular 40-hour workweek salary, with no overtime, holiday, or weekend pay.
CNBC reported that Williams and Wilmore are at the highest tier of the U.S. General Pay Schedule, meaning their base salary ranges between $125,133 to $162,672 per year.
And even though they still won’t receive overtime even after being stranded, NASA is legally required to provide a daily allowance for incidentals. However, the amount is shockingly low.
After being stuck in space for more than half a year, Williams and Wilmore will only be given an extra $5 per day. That adds up to just over $1,400 in additional pay for their extended time in space.
Understandably, this has caused a lot of outrage. People are demanding that the two astronauts receive much higher compensation for what they went through.
Recently, President Trump answered questions from reporters during a press conference in the Oval Office.
One reporter asked him if the Trump Administration could do anything to make sure they get the amount they deserve.
Saying that this was the first time he had heard of this issue, Trump stated that he will pay Williams and Wilmore with his own money if it came down to that.
“Well, nobody’s ever mentioned this to me,” Trump said. “If I have to I’ll pay it out of my own pocket. Okay? I’ll get it for them.”
Watch Donald Trump make the promise to rightfully pay Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore in the video below.
The fake news doesn't want you to see this clip. President Trump just said he will pay the two stranded astronauts overtime pay for the 286 days that they were stuck in space — out of his own pocket.
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 21, 2025
Amazing. pic.twitter.com/1Tm9KEGRFz
