In June of 2024, astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams flew to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Boeing’s Starliner. This was unfortunate, but unlike some of Boeing’s atmospheric products, not quite deadly. The Starliner developed thruster problems, which is a bad thing for a spacecraft that must precisely align itself with the ISS. Somehow, they made it to the relative safety of the aging ISS for what was supposed to be an eight to ten day stay.

Equally unfortunately, NASA couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the grandiosely named Starliner’s thrusters and wisely decided it might not be such a good idea to send Butch and Suni back in a ship they weren’t sure wouldn’t provide spectacular media visuals as it burned up on reentry, so they were—and I use the commonly understood term—stranded in space with no way to get back until NASA could figure out what was wrong with the Starliner and scrape up another rocket, which they couldn’t do—either of those things.

The Starliner made it back more or less intact, and Boeing apparently still can’t figure out what went wrong. In the meantime, NASA and Joe Biden’s handlers spent a great deal of energy explaining to Americans that Butch and Suni weren’t stranded in space, and how dare you even think such a thing? But we don’t have any way of bringing them back, do we? Americans asked. Shut up, Biden’s handlers and NASA explained.

And then Butch, who has been not stranded at the ISS for more than 240 days, messed it all up:

Graphic: Wilmore (L), Williams (R), NASA Screenshot. Public Domain.

The latest news is that during a video press conference this week, a Washington Post reporter asked the "stranded" astronauts, "Elon Musk has said that he made the offer to bring you guys back earlier and that it was denied… Is that true?”

Butch replied, "I can only say that what Elon Musk says is absolutely factual," but he also admitted that "I don't know all those details, and I don't think any of us really can give you the answer that maybe that you would be hoping for."

This week, Musk reiterated his claim, saying, "SpaceX could have sent up another Dragon and brought them home 6 months ago, but the Biden White House (not NASA) refused to allow it.”

On the flipside, Butch said in that same orbital presser, "From my standpoint, politics is not playing into this at all."

Elon Musk is working on bringing both home soon, and The Daily Mail, doing the work American journalists won’t do, adds detail:

'I can only say that Mr. Musk, what he says, is absolutely factual,' Wilmore said, noting he and Williams were not briefed on what happened behind closed doors. So I believe him. I don't know all those details, and I don't think any of us really can give you the answer that maybe that you would be hoping for,' he added.

The astronaut then gushed over Trump and Musk, saying 'we have the utmost respect for them.' 

Which is a smart thing to say about people who are going to save you from not being stranded in space. Musk, who tends to unaccountably tell the truth, earlier added this:

During a Friday appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, Musk said the Biden administration did not want to jeopardize Kamala Harris' presidential campaign and intentionally 'pushed the return date past the inauguration date.'

So. Elon Musk has affirmed several times that during the Biden’s handler's Administration he offered to bring Butch and Suni back much earlier. They refused because they didn’t want Musk, who was supporting Trump, to make Biden’s handlers, who would have been Kamala Harris’ handlers, look bad. Of course, that didn’t really matter, because they weren’t stranded in space, they were just…shut up.

Graphic: X Screenshot

And to make matters worse, Butch blurted out that what Musk said was “absolutely factual” but quickly added that politics weren’t playing into it at all.

So. The astronauts still aren’t stranded in space. Elon Musk could have brought them back to Earth from wherever they’re not stranded months ago. Musk confirms that and says Biden’s handlers refused for political reasons. Butch, who says Musk is telling the truth, isn’t exactly saying they’re still not stranded in space for what are not at all political reasons. And Donald Trump is going to let Elon go get them.

I’m sure if Biden’s handlers would respond to enquiries, they would still quip: shut up.

I somehow suspect President Trump is working on citations for Butch and Suni for longevity not stranded in space by Biden’s petty, venal handlers. They’ve earned it…Butch and Suni, not the handlers.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.