Trump Promises Overtime Pay for Stranded Astronauts
“If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket”
President Trump has promised that the stranded astronauts recently returned to earth aboard the SpaceX capsule would be receiving overtime pay for the time they spent in orbit.
Responding to reporters statement on Friday that the astronauts were only receiving a five dollar per diem, President Trump replied:
“Well, nobody’s ever mentioned this to me. If I have to, I’ll pay it out of my own pocket. I’ll get it for them, okay?…that’s not a lot, for what they had to go through.”
The President went on to speak about the physical and health consequences of prolonged stays in orbit, then thanked Elon Musk for assisting the astronaut’s return.
The reporter pointed out that the five dollar per day per diem payment for the 286 days the two astronauts spent in orbit would only come to $1430 in extra pay.
The total amount of overtime pay each astronaut could receive is unknown at this time.
