Former President Donald Trump has claimed that his administration supplied significant funding to NASA. A BBC Verify investigation has fact-checked these assertions, examining the budgetary records during his tenure.
During Trump's presidency, NASA's annual budget requests and appropriations were subject to congressional review and approval. While the executive branch proposes budgets, the ultimate allocation of funds is determined by Congress.
BBC Verify's review of budget data indicates that NASA's funding levels fluctuated during the period. It is important to distinguish between presidential requests and final congressional appropriations, as these figures can differ. The actual amount of money NASA received was a result of the legislative process, involving negotiations between the White House and lawmakers.
Trump's administration did propose increases in NASA's budget in certain years, often emphasizing goals such as returning astronauts to the Moon and facilitating commercial space activities. However, these proposals did not always align with the final amounts appropriated by Congress. In some instances, Congress approved budgets that were lower than requested, while in others, they were higher or maintained existing levels.
The complexity of federal budgeting means that attributing specific funding solely to a president's influence can be misleading. Numerous factors, including economic conditions, competing national priorities, and bipartisan support for space exploration, play a role in determining agency budgets. Therefore, while the Trump administration played a part in the budgetary process, the claim that it 'supplied all that money' to NASA requires a nuanced understanding of how federal funds are allocated.