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On Friday afternoon at 1:38pm EST, President Donald Trump posted on Twitter about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the moon and the mission to Mars. The tweet baffled people for multiple reasons.
The President's tweet stated:
"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!"
For all of the money we are spending, NASA should NOT be talking about going to the Moon - We did that 50 years ago… https://t.co/wTTkOYEC4G— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1559929081.0
The first thing that confused people was why the President would claim the moon was a part of Mars.
@realDonaldTrump OFFICIAL DNC STATEMENT: The moon is not part of Mars.— DNC War Room (@DNC War Room) 1559929541.0
@MattGertz @brianstelter I...what is he even trying to say? The moon trip is a first, experimental step toward Mars… https://t.co/ybzFP2f4bm— McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U.S. 135 (1927) (@McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U.S. 135 (1927)) 1559930965.0
@realDonaldTrump The moon is not part of Mars.— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1559929141.0
@realDonaldTrump Mars has its own moons. They’re called Phobos and Deimos. But the moon that Trump refers to orbits… https://t.co/oLQoPRk4lV— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1559929265.0
Army veteran and "former Conservative Republican Trump supporter now Liberal Democrat" David Weissman explained why the moon matters and suggested some reading material to the President.
@realDonaldTrump To understand how space works you have to continuously study the Earth’s back yard to for a better… https://t.co/nbTQdeUPZK— David Weissman (@David Weissman) 1559929452.0
@realDonaldTrump I strongly recommend you to read this before you make anymore ignorant comments about space. https://t.co/8PpGOnbHIG— David Weissman (@David Weissman) 1559929779.0
Comedian Nick Jack Pappas thought maybe the President was giving the moon away.
@realDonaldTrump Great. First Trump destroys America, now he's giving the moon to Mars.— Nick Jack Pap-pass the Gravy (@Nick Jack Pap-pass the Gravy) 1559929254.0
@realDonaldTrump I would normally forgive this as just badly worded, but Trump is also a very stable dummy and migh… https://t.co/In6UD7WT0B— Nick Jack Pap-pass the Gravy (@Nick Jack Pap-pass the Gravy) 1559929486.0
Next, people wanted to know what prompted this seemingly random Friday afternoon rant. But people were fairly certain they knew the source: Fox News.
More specifically, a segment on Fox Business that aired at 12:26pm EST, about an hour before the President's tweet.
When Trump starts tweeting about a weird thing for no apparent reason... Left, Fox Business, 12:26 p.m. Neil Cavu… https://t.co/j6265W2Jof— Matthew Gertz (@Matthew Gertz) 1559929703.0
Finally, people wanted to know why the sudden change of heart since May. Is the President really so susceptible to the suggestions of a TV news channel?
May 13: We are restoring NASA to greatness by going back to the Moon. June 7: “NASA should NOT be talking about go… https://t.co/8iEnLJWiXk— Michael Sheetz (@Michael Sheetz) 1559930190.0
The president's tweet seems to largely be commentary on how Jeff DeWit, the NASA chief financial officer who Trump… https://t.co/LWIaG2UtQ5— Matthew Gertz (@Matthew Gertz) 1559930206.0
@MattGertz @mmfa So damn sad that the president gets his ideas and talking points from Fox News. Embarrassing.— Veronica Garcia-Huff (@Veronica Garcia-Huff) 1559929885.0
@garcia_huff @MattGertz @mmfa Terrifying is a better word.— Echuta (@Echuta) 1559929975.0
@MattGertz It's truly insane. This alone should give anyone pause about the mental faculties of this President.— Johnny B. (@Johnny B.) 1559933025.0
@MattGertz Why does it take him over an hour to regurgitate Fox "News" talking points anyway?— Aleksandr Cyplakov (@Aleksandr Cyplakov) 1559930249.0
@MattGertz Fox Hosts trying to figure out how to explain why trump is actually right that the moon is part of mars. https://t.co/bw4SgNoxoq— Donald J. Turncoat (@Donald J. Turncoat) 1559929993.0
Since his NASA tweet, the President posted only that he was headed back to the United States.
Heading back to D.C. Many great things are happening for our Country!— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1559929418.0
President Trump left Monday for a state visit to the United Kingdom followed by the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France and a visit to his golf club in Ireland.