Trump's Trials - What's behind Trump's seemingly lackluster response to Artemis II's lunar mission

Episode Date: April 9, 2026

Many people have been enchanted watching Artemis II circle the moon and start the journey home. President Trump doesn't appear to be among them. Some critics say his lack of enthusiasm is calculated. NPR's Katia Riddle reports.Support NPR and hear every episode of Trump's Terms sponsor-free with NPR+. Sign up at plus.npr.org.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

You're listening to Trump's terms. I'm Scott Detrow. President Trump promised every single American that he would make America safe again. Every single day in the Oval Office, the president looks at us and says, why haven't we done more? This will be an entirely different country in a short period of time. Every episode, we bring you one story from NPR's recent coverage of the 47th president. With a focus on ways his administration is pushing the boundaries of presidential power. Here's the latest from NPR. From NPR news, I'm Lela Faldol.

For many Americans, it's been an exciting week watching Artemis II fly by the moon and start heading home. One person who doesn't seem especially enchanted, however, is President Trump. Here's NPR's Katie Riddle. For a point of comparison, let's revisit President Richard Nixon's famous phone call to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as they stood on the moon's surface. Hello, Neil and Buzz. I'm talking to you by telephone from the overall room at the White House. The year was 1969. Massive protests were unfolding over the Vietnam War. Americans were still reeling from the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy. But in addressing the astronauts, Nixon tried to remind Americans of their better selves and show the country a path out of the darkness. Because of what you have done, the heavens have become a part of the world.

man's world. And as you talk to us from the sea of tranquility, it inspires us to redouble our efforts to bring peace and tranquility to Earth. Earlier this week, President Trump placed his own call to the crew of Artemis II. He did not bring the same gravitas to the occasion. Humans have really never seen anything quite like what you're doing in a manned spacecraft. Trump meandered in his comments to topics, including the possibility. in his first term of cutting NASA's funding. Are we going to have it be revived or are we going to close it down? Space Force, a military branch he established.

And that was my baby. That was a very important one. And then, apparently, since astronaut Jeremy Hanson is Canadian, to other noteworthy citizens of that country. I spoke to a very special person, Wayne Gretzky, who I think you know, the great one. And I spoke to your prime minister and many other friends I have in Canada. Trump's seemingly lackluster response to Artemis may be more than just an oversight, says Jordan Bim, a science historian at the University of Chicago. There is like a telling silence or disinterest in this. It doesn't really align with his brand or his style. Bim says science and unity. Those are not things that Trump sees as necessarily advantageous for his presidency. In fact, they might work against him.

BIM compares Trump's reaction to Artemis to that of Operation Warp Speed from his first administration. That was the effort that helped accelerate the COVID vaccine and prevent millions of deaths globally. Another huge win for the Trump administration that he doesn't like to talk about because there is this sort of incongruency with the base. In fact, just a few days after Artemis II launched, the Trump administration released their budget for 2027. They proposed cutting billions from NASA, KC. Dreyer is with the Planetary Society, a group that does advocacy for space science and NASA. It's kind of an insult to the four astronauts who are risking their lives to return the United States to deep space, while at the same time the agency that is putting them there is being

targeted for being dismantled. In request for comment on this story, the White House sent a statement, pointing out that the administration celebrated the astronauts, writing that, quote, President Trump called them, congratulated them on making history, and, invited them to the White House, unquote. Casey Dreyer says, while he's disappointed in the administration's lack of fiscal support for NASA, he doesn't mind Trump's minimal engagement. That may not be the worst thing for the long-term benefit of Artemis. We want to keep Artemis as nonpartisan as possible. Dreyer observes that this moment has the potential to bring people together in order to marvel at what humans can achieve through science. That's a power. He says that transcends any one party or president.

Katie O'Rettle, NPR News. Before we wrap up a reminder, you can find more coverage of the Trump administration on the NPR Politics podcast, where you can hear NPR's political reporters break down the day's biggest political news with new episodes every weekday afternoon. And thanks, as always, to our NPR Plus supporters who hear every episode of the show without sponsor messages. You can learn more at plus.npr.org. I'm Scott Detrow. Thanks for listening to Trump's terms. from NPR.