Donald Trump appeared to show that he had confidence in Elon Musk’s space goals as the billionaire cracked a bizarre joke in a new interview.
During a recent chat with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Musk and Trump revealed how they came to be aligned.
The Tesla CEO insisted that he was going to support the Republican in his presidency, but this move was ‘sped up’ after the assassination attempt on his life in Pennsylvania in July, 2024.
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And even though Trump admitted he ‘settled’ on Musk after searching for ‘somebody smarter’, the president showed his support for the businessman's technological and space objectives in the coming years.
Trump told Hannity: “[Elon’s] going to go into orbit soon. He’s going to go to Mars.”
SpaceX founder Musk responded: “At some point, They ask me ‘Do you want to die on Mars?’ and I say ‘Yes but not on impact’.”
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This was a joke that really seemed to tickle Trump as he let out a hearty laugh.
It also appeared to be a reference to the comment Musk made during a keynote address at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2013.
“I'd like to die on Mars, just not on impact,” he said at the time.
On social media, the moment seems to have divided people, with some praising the billionaire tech mogul for his light-hearted nature while others weren't as amused.
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One Twitter user joked: “I think Elon Musk should go to Mars as soon as possible & I think he should take Trump with him.”
Another added: “Can we please send Elon on a one-way trip to Mars? And preferably sooner than later.”
While a third: “How soon can he leave to go to Mars?? Can he take Trump with him?? What a fantastic event that would be.”
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But on the flip side, Musk’s supporters were more than happy to defend him and bring attention to the progress his companies have made in regard to space travel and rocket development.
One person replied: “Exploring Mars is the ultimate human adventure - but sticking the landing is definitely preferred! Love how both these visionaries can keep it real while pushing humanity's boundaries.”
A second commented: “Elon Musk always has a way with words! His vision for Mars colonization is no joke, though - he's serious about making humanity a multi-planetary species. Trump's comment just adds to the humor: ‘Elon's gonna go into orbit soon.’”
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Someone else wrote: “The most powerful leaders in the world proving they don't see themselves as Kings but men and they still have humor.”
Musk has previously spoken about his plans to send humans to Mars while SpaceX has shared an animated clip showing how this could happen via the $3 billion Starship.
And back in March 2022, he tweeted that he sees 2029 as the earliest possible date to get humans on the Red Planet.
Regardless of how you feel about Musk and Trump, it seems Mars is somewhat on the agenda for the pair.
Topics: Elon Musk, Mars, Donald Trump, Space
Gerrard Kaonga