US President Donald Trump had an unusual compliment for Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, commenting on her “solid head of hair” while addressing the plight of two astronauts stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Trump assured them, “We’re coming up to get you.”
The 78-year-old President floated the idea of personally leading a rescue team to bring back Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore, who have been stuck in space for over nine months — far beyond their originally planned eight-day mission. Trump took aim at former President Joe Biden, blaming his administration for leaving the astronauts marooned in orbit.
“Biden left them up there,” Trump declared from the Oval Office. “We have two astronauts stuck in space. I asked Elon (Musk), ‘Do me a favor—can you get them out?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’ He’s preparing to launch a rescue mission in about two weeks.”
With a grin, Trump even teased the idea of personally joining the rescue mission, joking, “Should I go on that journey, just to be on the ship?”
‘No games with her hair’
While discussing the situation, Trump couldn’t resist commenting on Williams’ appearance. “And I see the woman with the wild hair — solid head of hair she’s got, no kidding. No games with her hair,” he quipped, referencing the famous zero-gravity hairstyle Williams often sports in space.
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
Responding to reporters’ questions about his message for Williams and Wilmore, Trump said, “We love you, and we’re coming to get you. You should never have been stuck up there this long.”
Trump calls Biden ‘most incompetent President’
Labeling Biden the “most incompetent president in our history,” Trump claimed the previous administration “allowed this to happen,” adding, “This president won’t let that happen.”
Looking upward, Trump promised the astronauts directly: “We’re coming to get you.” He humorously speculated about their survival in close quarters, saying, “I hope they like each other… maybe they’ll even fall in love, who knows? But they’ve been up there way too long. It’s dangerous, and we need to bring them back.”
Musk’s SpaceX to bring back Sunita Williams
Elon Musk confirmed the plan in a post on X, stating, “The astronauts were originally supposed to stay for 8 days. They’ve now been there for 8 months…SpaceX could have brought them back 6 months ago, but the Biden White House (not NASA) refused to authorise it. President Trump asked us to bring them home ASAP — and we are.”
Williams, 59, and Wilmore launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner in June 2024 for what was intended to be a short mission. However, technical issues, including helium leaks and thruster malfunctions, rendered the spacecraft unsafe for their return to Earth.
In January 2025, Williams set a new record for total spacewalking hours by a woman, logging 62 hours and 6 minutes of spacewalk time during a mission with Wilmore. Notably, in 2012, Williams also became the first person to complete a triathlon in space, using modified equipment to simulate swimming, cycling, and running.