Donald Trump appeared to express confidence in Elon Musk’s ambitions for space exploration as the entrepreneur made an unusual joke during a recent interview.
In a conversation with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, both Musk and Trump discussed how their interests aligned.
The CEO of Tesla mentioned his intention to support Trump during his presidency, a decision that was accelerated following an assassination attempt on his life in Pennsylvania in July 2024.
Despite Trump admitting he chose Musk after seeking “somebody smarter,” he expressed his backing for Musk’s technological and space endeavors for the future.
Trump told Hannity: “[Elon’s] going to go into orbit soon. He’s going to go to Mars.”
SpaceX founder Musk responded: “At some point, They ask me ‘Do you want to die on Mars?’ and I say ‘Yes but not on impact’.”
This joke seemed to amuse Trump, who laughed heartily.
It referred back to a comment Musk previously made during a keynote address at South by Southwest (SXSW) in 2013.
“I’d like to die on Mars, just not on impact,” he said at the time.
On social media, opinions were mixed, with some applauding the tech mogul’s humor while others were less impressed.
One Twitter user jested: “I think Elon Musk should go to Mars as soon as possible & I think he should take Trump with him.”
Another said: “Can we please send Elon on a one-way trip to Mars? And preferably sooner than later.”
A third remarked: “How soon can he leave to go to Mars?? Can he take Trump with him?? What a fantastic event that would be.”
On the other hand, Musk’s supporters were quick to defend him and highlight the advancements his companies have made in space travel and rocket development.
One person noted: “Exploring Mars is the ultimate human adventure – but sticking the landing is definitely preferred! Love how both these visionaries can keep it real while pushing humanity’s boundaries.”
Another added: “Elon Musk always has a way with words! His vision for Mars colonization is no joke, though – he’s serious about making humanity a multi-planetary species. Trump’s comment just adds to the humor: ‘Elon’s gonna go into orbit soon.’”
Someone else commented: “The most powerful leaders in the world proving they don’t see themselves as Kings but men and they still have humor.”
Musk has frequently discussed his plans for sending humans to Mars, with SpaceX releasing an animation showing how this could be achieved through the $3 billion Starship.
In March 2022, he tweeted that he believes 2029 is the earliest possible date for humans to set foot on the Red Planet.
No matter your opinion of Musk and Trump, it seems Mars is indeed part of their future vision.