What to Know
When Donald Trump spoke with the astronauts aboard the Artemis II, TMZ shared a video of the phone call on X (formerly Twitter). During the call, Trump talks about how proud many people are of the group’s mission in space and to the moon for a flyby mission, but when the astronauts don’t respond, it’s clear that there is something else happening. Do they just hate him? I mean, it’s possible.
But, during the same call in the video, Trump claims there is some glitch. He even says something about the “reception,” and it could be a joke, but who can really say? All I know is that the call is as awkward as possible thanks to the astronauts seemingly ready to get off the line. Now, people are making fun of Trump for essentially getting ignored during the televised phone call to space.
Trump blamed the awkwardness on a glitch.
President Donald Trump’s call with the Artemis II crew Monday night had a seriously awkward moment … when the crew seemingly decided they were done talking to him — and the prez blamed it on a glitch! 😅
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 7, 2026
Credit: NASA pic.twitter.com/K3qe5o4b4h
In the video from the call, the astronauts try to steady a spinning microphone and even talk amongst themselves as Trump says they “have a lot of courage” to go on their mission. But the kicker is that they don’t say anything in response. Maybe it’s a major delay in the crew getting the audio from Trump, but from the video alone, it’s not totally clear. And either way, it’s so awkward and uncomfy for everyone.
“I think we might’ve gotten cut off,” Trump says to someone with him. “It is a long distance, it’s a long way. Reception’s been great, there’s a little bit of a nine second delay.”
Later in the video, Trump repeats himself and finally, the astronauts reply to him with the microphone in the shuttle. But in another post on X, someone pointed out that, given the facial expressions of the crew members, it’s obvious that they just didn’t want to talk to Trump more than they had to. It’s a toss-up at this point, but the people have lots of thoughts on that awkward exchange.
Maybe the astronauts just don’t like Trump?
i present to you: the artemis crew really not wanting to talk to donald trump pic.twitter.com/BqglQLnicI
— rei / freya (@pr0zacz) April 7, 2026
Call it a delay, or a glitch, or some issue with “reception.” Whatever the case may be for why the Artemis II crew was unable to respond, or refused to respond, to Trump for several long grueling seconds, some people think the astronauts just aren’t fans of the president. And that’s totally possible too.
But, one commenter wrote on X, “I’ve heard of leaving people on ‘read’ but they left him on ‘heard’.”
“They clearly did not want to talk to him and they made it obvious by leaving the mic floating in the middle,” someone pointed out on X in response to the post with the video from the call.
“That minute of dead silence was painfully awkward,” another shared. “Astronauts just floating the mic while Trump waits…and he immediately blames a glitch. Classic.”
Someone else pointed out, “Reid clearly said, ‘we heard all that.’ They didn’t want to talk to him and looking at what they’ve achieved and are currently achieving, I don’t blame him.”
Another person agreed, “They were so over his nonsense.”
People claim it’s just a glitch, like Trump believes.
During the call, Trump says he thinks there is a technical error. And, despite what some see as proof that the astronauts are not impressed with a phone call from Trump, others think there was a legitimate delay that resulted in the silence that followed Trump’s original comments to the crew on the Artemis II.
“They were actually just being polite and gracious,” another user wrote on X. “There’s a nine second delay. I’m sure they’re not big fans of Trump’s but you’re making this something it wasn’t.”
Another added, “It was a glitch. They finished it after they regained communications but you’re not going to show that part right?” Sure, OK, maybe. But it’s just as possible that the astronauts aren’t of the MAGA crowd and they used their platform to prove that. Just a theory.
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