President Donald Trump recognized the Artemis II astronauts during his Fourth of July speech on the National Mall, asserting that the United States is significantly outpacing other nations in space exploration and expressing confidence in future missions to Mars.
Trump welcomed the Artemis II crew members, Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, to the stage during the July 4, 2026, celebration. "I assume you're going to be heading to Mars," Trump told the astronauts. "We're going to be going to Mars very soon, and I think that's something that we do have in mind. And we're going to do the moon, and we're going to go from there. We're going to go to Mars, and we're going to continue to be way ahead."
The president remarked on the initial skepticism some people had regarding space endeavors, stating, "Some people smiled, they thought it was foolish, and now they're finding it's one of the most important things that we've done." He further elaborated on the nation's standing in space, asserting, "We were losing to China and to Russia in space, and now we're leading them by giant steps, and it's a great thing."