March 22, 2025: In a surprising move, President Donald Trump has offered to pay the overtime salary of astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore out of his own packet. The two astronauts returned to Earth after an unexpected nine month stay in space due to technical issues with the Boeing spacecraft that took them to the international space station (ISS).

Williams and Wilmore initially were supposed to be on a week-long mission in June last year, but they ended up spending additional 278 days in space. Despite their prolonged stay, NASA’s policy dictates that they won’t receive any extra salary.

However, NASA does cover their transportation, food and lodging expenses. When Trump learned about this, he expressed surprise, saying, “Is that all? That’s not enough for what they had to go through.”

Trump’s offer to pay the astronauts overtime salary has sparked attention, with many praising his gesture.