Buzz Aldrin Endorses Donald Trump For President
Brigadier General Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Apollo 11 pilot and the second man to step foot on the moon, endorsed Donald J. Trump for President of the United States on Wednesday.
Unfortunately, the first man to step on the moon, Neil Armstrong, passed in 2012, meaning he’ll be casting his ballot for Harris.
Aldrin said in his official statement of endorsement that the U.S. is facing “difficult realities” domestically and globally, and the country needs a “proven, serious, tested leader for President.”
He also pointed to how, under President Trump, there was a renewed interest in the space program.
“Over the years, I have seen our government’s approach to space wax and wane, a fluctuating dynamic that has disappointed me from time to time,” his statement said. “But under the first Trump Administration, I was impressed to see how human space exploration was elevated, made a policy of high importance again.”
He went on to praise the former President for the creation of Space Force and his support for the private sector space industry.
“The Trump Administration also reinstituted the National Space Council, so leading voices could advocate for the importance of space to America,” Aldrin said. “Finally, under President Trump, the Nation’s defense was enhanced with the creation of the U.S. Space Force — increasingly important as space becomes a contested domain.”
“At the same time, I have been enthused and excited by the great advancements in the private sector space economy, led by visionaries like Elon Musk,” he continued. “These are concrete accomplishments that align with my concerns and America’s policy priorities.”
In 2019 President Trump invited Aldrin and other astronauts to the Oval Office for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.
Aldrin graduated third in his class at West Point in 1951 and was given his choice of assignment. He chose the Air Force because he always wanted to be a pilot. The Air Force was created from the Army Air Corps in 1947 and did not have it’s own academy at the time.
He served 21 years on active duty in the Air Force, including 66 combat missions during the Korean War. He is credited with shooting down two enemy MiG-15 aircraft.
