Butch Wilmore says he believes Biden rejected Musk's offer to bring him and Sunita Williams home, ‘Absolutely factual’

Butch Wilmore said he believes Elon Musk’s claim that the Biden administration rejected the SpaceX CEO’s offer to bring him and Sunita Williams home.

Published on: Mar 6, 2025, 13:52:29 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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Butch Wilmore, one of the NASA astronauts trapped on the International Space Station, said he believes Elon Musk’s claim that the Biden administration rejected the SpaceX CEO’s offer to bring him and fellow astronaut Sunita Williams home. Wilmore made the comment during an in-orbit press conference with Williams.

Butch Wilmore says he believes Biden rejected Musk's offer to bring him and Sunita Williams home (NASA via AP, File) (AP)

Wilmore earlier denied that politics had anything to do with delaying his and Williams’ homecoming. However, he appeared to shift his stance while answering a question about Musk’s claim that Joe Biden had intentionally stalled their rescue.

“I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says, is absolutely factual … I believe him,” Wilmore said.

Wimore admitted that although he trusts Musk, he and Williams have no knowledge about the behind-closed-doors discussion regarding rescuing them and bringing them home. “We have no information on that, though, whatsoever. What was offered, what was not offered, who it was offered to, how that process went. That’s information that we simply don’t have,” he said.

Butch Wilmore expresses support for Donald Trump and Elon Musk

Wilmore went on to express his support for Donald Trump and Musk. “All of us have the utmost respect for Mr. Musk, and obviously, respect and admiration for our president of the United States, Donald Trump. We appreciate them. We appreciate all that they do for us, for human space flight, for our nation,” Wilmore said.

Williams and Wilmore also answered a question about Musk recently saying on X that the international community should take the ISS out of orbit “as soon as possible” and ensure resources are devoted to reaching Mars. The astronauts did not agree with Musk on this point.

“I actually was extremely impressed coming up here and seeing how much science is going on,” Williams said. “This place is ticking. It’s just really amazing. So I would say we’re actually in our prime right now. … I would think that right now is probably not the right time to say, quit, to call it quits.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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