(Headline USA) Astronaut Buzz Aldrin endorsed former President Donald Trump this week, arguing the U.S. needs a “proven, serious, tested leader” to face multiple “difficult realities.”
A half-Century ago, it was an honor to serve my country in the effort to put a human being on the Moon. I am proud of what we accomplished then and I have dedicated my life to the pursuit of an enduring human presence in space – it is a calling that runs…
— Dr. Buzz Aldrin (@TheRealBuzz) October 30, 2024
The Apollo 11 hero, who became the second man ever to walk on the moon, started by praising Trump for taking space policy seriously.
“Over the years, I have seen our government’s approach to space wax and wane, a fluctuating dynamic that has disappointed me from time to time,” Aldrin said in a statement released on Wednesday.
“But under the first Trump Administration, I was impressed to see how human space exploration was elevated, made a policy of high importance again,” he continued.
Trump’s commitment to the National Space Council and his creation of the U.S. Space Force were vital policy changes, Aldrin said, especially “as space becomes a contested domain.”
Aldrin also complimented tech mogul Elon Musk, who similarly endorsed Trump this summer.
“I have been enthused and excited by the great advancements in the private sector space economy, led by visionaries like Elon Musk,” Aldrin said. “These are concrete accomplishments that align with my concerns and America’s policy priorities.”
All together, Aldrin said he believes the U.S. is “best served” by electing Trump.
Aldrin has been active in Republican politics for years and spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2016. This is the first time, however, that he has endorsed Trump directly.
Trump has vowed to pursue an even more aggressive agenda when it comes to space exploration if he is elected in November.
In August, he proposed expanding the National Guard to include a Space National Guard.
“We’re leading in space throughout the armed forces,” Trump said. “We will make a historic investment in building a U.S. military for the 21st century, investing heavily in drones, robotics, artificial intelligence, hypersonics.”
