There is no evidence that Biden left anyone in space
A Critical Analysis of Trump and Musk's "Stranded Astronauts" Claims
The recent return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams has been accompanied by a flurry of politically charged accusations from former President Trump and Elon Musk, suggesting the astronauts were deliberately kept in space by the Biden administration. This report critically examines these claims, the evidence (or lack thereof) supporting them, and the potential motivations behind this narrative.
Direct Contradiction from Astronaut Wilmore Himself
Perhaps the most damning evidence against the politically-motivated "stranding" theory comes from Starliner commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore himself. Contrary to claims that he supported Musk's conspiracy theory, Wilmore explicitly stated that politics played no role in their extended mission.
"From my standpoint, politics is not playing into this at all," Wilmore said during an orbital news conference. "We came up prepared to stay long, even though we planned to stay short. That's what we do in human space flight. That's what your nation's human space flight program is all about, planning for unknown, unexpected contingencies. And we did that."[7]
Wilmore and Williams had previously indicated they didn't feel stranded or abandoned in space[7]. While Wilmore expressed respect for both Musk and Trump, at no point did he endorse their claims about political interference in their mission timeline.
A Pattern of Promoting Unfounded Conspiracy Theories
The "stranded astronauts" claim fits into a broader pattern of conspiracy promotion by both Trump and Musk. Elon Musk has repeatedly promoted debunked conspiracy theories, particularly around elections. During a town hall in Pennsylvania, Musk "promoted several debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election" and made "blatantly false claims about US elections"[1].
These included false assertions about Dominion voting machines that had already resulted in a $787 million defamation settlement by Fox News for airing similar claims[1]. A Dominion spokesperson directly refuted Musk's claims, stating: "Fact: Dominion does not serve Philadelphia County. Fact: Dominion's voting systems are already based on voter verified paper ballots."[1]
This pattern of spreading misinformation without evidence provides important context for evaluating Musk's claims about politically-motivated astronaut stranding.
Financial Interests and Government Subsidies
Musk's companies have extensively benefited from government funding and subsidies, raising questions about his motivations for criticizing government agencies. Tesla, SolarCity, and SpaceX "together have benefited from an estimated $4.9 billion in government support," according to data compiled by the Los Angeles Times[2].
This financial relationship with government suggests a potential conflict of interest when Musk makes political claims that position him as opposing government decision-making. As an analyst quoted in the LA Times article noted, "He definitely goes where there is government money"[2].
The Trump-Musk Alliance and Timing
The timing of these claims coincides with the deepening political alliance between Trump and Musk. More than 50 days into Trump's second term, their relationship "appears to be as strong as ever," with Musk frequently seen at the White House and accompanying the president on Air Force One[5].
Trump has given "gaudy show[s] of support for Musk," including having Tesla vehicles brought to the White House and publicly praising Musk as a "patriot"[5]. This mutually beneficial relationship provides context for their aligned messaging on the astronaut situation, regardless of its factual basis.
Critics have noted this relationship, with Democrats mockingly referring to Musk as "President Musk" and casting the relationship as "a case of blatant" mutual advantage[5].
Absence of Supporting Evidence
Despite the strong claims, no concrete evidence has been presented supporting the theory that the Biden administration kept astronauts in space for political reasons. This mirrors other situations where similar accusations have been made without supporting evidence.
For example, in an unrelated but illustrative case, a conservative group that claimed ballot stuffing in Georgia's 2020 election later admitted to a judge that it "doesn't have evidence to support its claims"[4]. These claims were nonetheless heavily relied upon for the widely debunked film "2000 Mules"[4].
A critical examination of Trump and Musk's claims about "stranded astronauts" reveals:
1. They are directly contradicted by Wilmore, one of the astronauts allegedly stranded for political reasons
2. They align with a pattern of promoting conspiracy theories without evidence
3. They emerge from a context where Musk has received billions in government funding
4. They coincide with a mutually beneficial political alliance between Trump and Musk
5. They lack substantiating evidence
The evidence suggests these claims are more aligned with political self-promotion than factual reality. As with other conspiracy theories promoted by both figures, their allegations about politically-motivated astronaut "stranding" appear designed to advance political narratives rather than represent the reality of space operations as described by the astronauts themselves.
Sources
[1] Elon Musk peddles debunked 2020 election conspiracies at ... - CNN https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/17/media/elon-musk-dominion-voting-misinformation/index.html
[2] Elon Musk's growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government ... https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html
[3] RNC-Platformed Conspiracy Theorist and Election Denier Says “It ... https://democrats.org/news/new-rnc-platformed-conspiracy-theorist-and-election-denier-says-it-doesnt-matter-who-votes-it-matters-who-counts-the-votes/
[4] Conservative group tells judge it has no evidence to back its claims ... https://apnews.com/article/georgia-elections-true-vote-ballot-stuffing-199113b47bc2df79c63fdf007cd23115
[5] Trump, Musk defy predictions of ugly fallout - Yahoo https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-musk-defy-predictions-ugly-100000267.html
[6] United States v. Wilmore, 625 F. App'x 366 | Casetext Search + Citator https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-wilmore
[7] Starliner commander says politics played no role in crew's extended ... https://www.cbsnews.com/news/starliner-iss-butch-wilmore-politics-update/
[8] Musk pushes debunked Dominion voting conspiracy theory as he ... https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/musk-pushes-debunked-dominion-voting-conspiracy-theory-campaign-appear-rcna175985
[9] Elon Musk Says He's Anti-Subsidy, but Has Gotten Billions of Dollars https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-list-government-subsidies-tesla-billions-spacex-solarcity-2021-12
[10] How Taylor Swift became the latest target of right-wing conspiracy ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxR6Lkw8Pns
[11] Fact-Checking Trump's Speech at the Justice Department https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/14/us/politics/fact-check-trump-justice-immigration-crime-eggs.html
[12] Elon Musk Seeks to Put $100 Million Into Trump Political Operation https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/us/politics/elon-musk-trump-donation.html
[13] Wilmore v. United States, Civil Action No. 17-60278-Civ-Scola https://casetext.com/case/wilmore-v-united-states-1
[14] Elon Musk makes controversial 'political' claim about astronauts on ... https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/elon-musk-trump-stranded-astronaut-claim-2671348289
[15] The United States of Elon Musk Inc. - WIRED https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-congress-takeover/
[16] USA v. Herve Wilmore, Jr., et al., No. 14-13194 (11th Cir. 2015) https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca11/14-13194/14-13194-2015-08-18.html