Former U.S. President Donald Trump referred to astronaut Sunita Williams as a “woman with wild hair” while alleging that President Joe Biden left her and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore stranded in space. Trump claimed he had spoken with his ally Elon Musk, urging him to bring them back. However, NASA had already scheduled their return through SpaceX’s Crew-9 mission.
Trump Blames Biden, Says Musk Will Rescue Astronauts
Williams and Wilmore launched on June 5, 2024, for an eight-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. However, due to a technical issue, the spacecraft was deemed unsafe for human travel, forcing an empty return to Earth. As a result, the astronauts’ brief mission turned into a nine-month stay on the ISS.
During a speech at the White House on Thursday, Trump remarked, “I see the woman with the wild hair, good, solid head of hair she’s got. There’s no kidding, there’s no games with her hair…We love you and we’re coming up to get you. And you shouldn’t have been up there so long.”
Trump on two astronauts stuck in space: "Maybe they'll love each other, I don't know. But they've been left up there. Think of it. And I see the woman with the wild hair. Good solid head of hair she's got. There's no kidding. There's no games with her hair." pic.twitter.com/6a2JHVXFNO
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 6, 2025
Blaming Biden for the extended stay, Trump added, “Biden allowed that to happen to you, but this president won’t let it happen.”
NASA Had Already Planned Williams’ Return
Trump claimed he had personally requested Musk to organize a rescue mission, stating, “Biden left them up there. We have two astronauts that are stuck in space. I have asked Elon (Musk), I said, Do me a favour. Can you get them out?’ He said, Yes.’ He is preparing to go up, I think in two weeks.”
Despite Trump’s claims, NASA had already arranged for Williams and Wilmore to return on the SpaceX Crew-9 mission, launched under the Biden administration in September 2024. Initially planned for February, their return was later rescheduled for this month.
Musk and Astronaut Mogensen Clash Over Facts
The controversy extended to social media, where Musk got into a heated exchange with astronaut Andreas Mogensen on X (formerly Twitter).
Musk had earlier stated in a Fox News interview with Trump that Williams and Wilmore were left in space “for political reasons.” In response, Mogensen accused Musk of spreading false information.
“Elon, I have long admired you and what you have accomplished, especially at SpaceX and Tesla. You know as well as I do, that Butch and Suni are returning with Crew-9, as has been the plan since last September. Even now, you are not sending up a rescue ship to bring them home. They are returning on the Dragon capsule that has been on ISS since last September,” Mogensen wrote on X.
Musk responded aggressively, further escalating the dispute.
While Trump and Musk continue to push their narrative, NASA remains on track to bring Williams and Wilmore back safely as planned.
