On Wednesday afternoon in Florida, two Americans were set to be rocketed into space in the first launch from US soil in more than a decade.
President Donald Trump was there to watch, but the historic launch was postponed due to weather. The next launch window will be on Saturday, a NASA spokesperson said.
Trump has been very focused on space – exploring it, enforcing it – since he became a candidate for president. Below are 12 of the, uh, best things he’s said about space – as helpfully compiled by CNN’s own Allison Gordon.
1. “In the old days, [NASA] was great. Right now, we have bigger problems, you understand that. We have to fix our potholes. We don’t exactly have a lot of money.” – Trump, November 2015
Potholes or space, pick one.
2. “Look at your space program. Look at what’s going on there. Somebody just asked me back stage, ‘Mr. Trump, will you get involved in the space program?’ Look what’s happened with your employment. Look what’s happened with our whole history of space and leadership. Look what’s going on folks. We’re like a third-world nation.” – Trump, August 2016
The United States of America, third-world nation.
3. “I will free NASA from the restriction of serving primarily as a logistics agency for low-Earth orbit activity—big deal. Instead, we will refocus its mission on space exploration. Under a Trump Administration, Florida and America will lead the way into the stars.” – Trump, October 2016.
Everyone knows low-Earth orbit activity is for losers.
4. “At some point in the future, we’re going to look back and say, ‘How did we do it without space?’” – Trump, July 2017.
Are we?
5. “This is infinity here. It could be infinity. We don’t really don’t know. But it could be. It has to be something — but it could be infinity, right?” – Trump, July 2017.
Yes, this is a real quote.
6. “Mike is very much into space.” – Trump, July 2017.
That’s Mike Pence, space nerd, to you.
7. “‘Maybe we need a new force. We’ll call it the Space Force.’ And I was not really serious. And then I said, ‘What a great idea. Maybe we’ll have to do that.’ ” – Trump, March 2018, announcing the formation of a 6th military branch: Space Force!
(Does Space Force have a logo? You bet it does!)
8. “Under my Administration, we are restoring @NASA to greatness and we are going back to the Moon, then Mars. I am updating my budget to include an additional $1.6 billion so that we can return to Space in a BIG WAY!” – Trump tweet, May 2019.
Look out moon, here we come!
9. “For all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago. They should be focused on the much bigger things we are doing, including Mars (of which the Moon is a part), Defense and Science!” – Trump tweet, June 2019.
But wait. I thought we were going to the moon? Also, the moon is not part of Mars. I majored in English and even I know that.
10. “To get to Mars, you have to land on the Moon, they say…Any way of going directly without landing on the Moon? Is that a possibility?” – Trump, July 2019.
“Yes, I would like one flight to Mars, please. And don’t even think about making me connect through the moon again.”
11. “Space, to me, is very important for defense.” – Trump, July 2019.
Yes, yes this is all making sense now….
12. “We’re stopping at the moon. The moon is actually a launching pad. That’s why we’re stopping at the moon. I said, ‘Hey, we’ve done the moon. That’s not so exciting.’ So we’ll be doing the moon. But we’ll really be doing Mars.” – Trump, September 2019.
“Doing the moon.”
One can only wonder what notable quotables President Trump will add to this dizzying array in the days to come.