Trump Offers to Cover Overtime Pay for Astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore After Unexpected 9-Month Space Mission

Astronaut Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore

Trump Offers to Cover Astronauts' Overtime Pay After Unexpected 9-Month Space Mission

Donald Trump has pledged to personally cover the overtime pay for astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore following their extended stay in space.

During a discussion in the Oval Office on Friday, the U.S. President responded to a question regarding the astronauts' calculated overtime by stating: "Nobody's ever mentioned this to me. If I have to, I'll pay it out of my own pocket."

Trump made this statement in response to concerns about the financial compensation of Wilmore and Williams, who spent an unplanned 286 days in space after their spacecraft experienced malfunctions. Originally scheduled for an eight-day mission, they endured an additional 278 days in orbit.

A Fox News reporter pointed out that the astronauts received a per diem of $5 per day while in space, accumulating to $1,430 in additional pay. NASA reports indicate that Wilmore and Williams earn an annual salary of approximately $152,258.

A rescue mission successfully brought them back to Earth this week aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

President Trump extended his gratitude to Elon Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Earlier this year, on January 28, Trump stated that he had tasked Musk and SpaceX with retrieving the stranded astronauts.

"Think if we don't have him?" Trump remarked. "If we don't have Elon. They could be up there a long time. Who else is going to get them?" He also emphasized the physical toll of prolonged space travel, stating that the "body starts to deteriorate" after a few months in orbit.

Speaking to Fox News’ Peter Doocy on March 21, Trump expressed surprise at learning that astronauts do not receive overtime pay. According to Doocy, Williams and Wilmore were eligible for only a modest daily incidentals allowance, which totaled an extra $1,430 over their extended stay.

"Nobody ever mentioned this to me," Trump reiterated, as quoted by Forbes. "If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket."

"I’ll take care of that," Trump, now 78, added.

NASA clarified in a statement to PEOPLE earlier in the week that astronauts on the International Space Station are compensated with standard 40-hour workweek salaries and do not qualify for overtime or additional holiday/weekend pay.

The agency further explained that NASA astronauts, as federal employees on official travel orders, have their transportation, lodging, and meals covered. Additionally, while on extended temporary duty (TDY) assignments in space, they receive a reduced incidentals allowance in accordance with federal travel regulations.

Ahead of Williams' and Wilmore's scheduled return on March 18, Trump criticized the prolonged mission, attributing the delay to his predecessor, Joe Biden. In a Truth Social post on January 28, he claimed he had directed Musk and SpaceX to "'go get' the 2 brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned in space by the Biden Administration."

However, despite Trump’s comments, NASA had already been coordinating with SpaceX for months to facilitate the astronauts’ return. Furthermore, NASA had announced in December that the astronauts were expected to return to Earth "no earlier than late March."