Bill Nye blasts Trump's NASA plan as ‘illogical’: ‘We cannot allow this’
Erik De La Garza
April 10, 2026
RAW STORY
The sun rises behind Artemis I, NASA's heavy-lift lunar rocket system, as it sits temporarily grounded at pad 39- B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Sept. 6, 2022. - Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS
Science educator Bill Nye came out swinging at President Donald Trump on Friday, blasting his administration’s proposed cuts to NASA as “surprising, illogical and very troubling” in a scathing new opinion piece.
Writing for MSNOW in the wake of the historic return of the Artemis II crew – the first mission to the moon since 1972 – Nye argued the moment of celebration is being overshadowed by Trump’s plans to slash funding for space science.
“The proposed cuts would terminate 53 NASA Science missions, throwing away more than $13 billion in taxpayer investment and halting the development of nearly every future NASA Science mission,” according to Nye, best known for hosting the hit educational show “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” He added that such reductions would be “an insult to our astronauts and entire NASA workforce.”
Nye also took aim at proposed cuts to STEM education, calling efforts to eliminate NASA’s outreach programs “quite personal” and warning they would damage the nation’s long-term scientific leadership.
“We cannot allow this,” Nye declared, urging Americans to push back against the MAGA administration’s “draconian cuts.” He pointed to a growing global competition in space, particularly with China, and questioned why the U.S. would “cede the lead” at such a pivotal moment.
“NASA is the best brand our nation has,” Nye told readers Friday. He argued that space exploration reflects America “at its best” – and warned that abandoning scientific investment “would be an unworthy choice.”
“If Artemis II has showed us anything, it’s that the public, across the political spectrum, strongly supports space exploration, scientific discovery and a deeper understanding of the universe and our place within it,” he concluded.
Trump, for his part, on Friday congratulated the Artemis crew in a Truth Social post, praising their trip as "spectacular," and the landing as "perfect."
"I could not be more proud!" Trump wrote.
Erik De La Garza
April 10, 2026
RAW STORY
The sun rises behind Artemis I, NASA's heavy-lift lunar rocket system, as it sits temporarily grounded at pad 39- B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on Sept. 6, 2022. - Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/TNS
Science educator Bill Nye came out swinging at President Donald Trump on Friday, blasting his administration’s proposed cuts to NASA as “surprising, illogical and very troubling” in a scathing new opinion piece.
Writing for MSNOW in the wake of the historic return of the Artemis II crew – the first mission to the moon since 1972 – Nye argued the moment of celebration is being overshadowed by Trump’s plans to slash funding for space science.
“The proposed cuts would terminate 53 NASA Science missions, throwing away more than $13 billion in taxpayer investment and halting the development of nearly every future NASA Science mission,” according to Nye, best known for hosting the hit educational show “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” He added that such reductions would be “an insult to our astronauts and entire NASA workforce.”
Nye also took aim at proposed cuts to STEM education, calling efforts to eliminate NASA’s outreach programs “quite personal” and warning they would damage the nation’s long-term scientific leadership.
“We cannot allow this,” Nye declared, urging Americans to push back against the MAGA administration’s “draconian cuts.” He pointed to a growing global competition in space, particularly with China, and questioned why the U.S. would “cede the lead” at such a pivotal moment.
“NASA is the best brand our nation has,” Nye told readers Friday. He argued that space exploration reflects America “at its best” – and warned that abandoning scientific investment “would be an unworthy choice.”
“If Artemis II has showed us anything, it’s that the public, across the political spectrum, strongly supports space exploration, scientific discovery and a deeper understanding of the universe and our place within it,” he concluded.
Trump, for his part, on Friday congratulated the Artemis crew in a Truth Social post, praising their trip as "spectacular," and the landing as "perfect."
"I could not be more proud!" Trump wrote.
Illustration of Donald Trump as an astronaut (Roxanne Cooper/MidJourney)
March 31, 2026
ALTERNET
President Trump is positioning the upcoming Artemis II moon mission as a potential centerpiece of his second-term legacy, according to a New York Times report by Peter Baker. The mission, scheduled to launch this week, will send four astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have traveled since the Apollo program ended more than 50 years ago.
Trump's enthusiasm for space exploration marks a dramatic reversal from his 2015 campaign stance. When asked about space during a New Hampshire campaign stop, Trump dismissed the subject, saying: "Right now, we have bigger problems — you understand that? We've got to fix our potholes." By the time he entered office, however, he had embraced space exploration as integral to American greatness, and no president since Kennedy and Johnson has pushed NASA as aggressively.
Trump's ambitions extend well beyond Artemis II. Shortly after Jared Isaacman became NASA administrator in January, Trump called to ask about Mars missions and nuclear rockets, inquiring: "Are we doing something in the 2028 window for Mars? What do you think about the nuclear rocket?" Isaacman indicated that Trump envisions sustained lunar presence and infrastructure rather than brief visits. Trump emphasized: "We better be doing more than getting rocks this time."
Trump's public attention to the Artemis II launch has been notably limited. Though the four astronauts were seated in the gallery during his February State of the Union address, Trump did not acknowledge them or mention the mission. He has said little about it in recent days despite the launch's imminence.
Trump's space agenda faces fiscal constraints. The Trump administration proposed cutting NASA funding by 24 percent last year, a reduction that would have terminated more than 40 missions. Though Congress protected the Artemis program through budget legislation, nearly 4,000 NASA employees are departing through federal workforce reductions.
Questions remain about Trump's sustained commitment to the long-term program. Retired astronaut Cady Coleman expressed concerns about losing experienced personnel, while Apollo 17 moon walker Harrison H. Schmitt stressed the importance of presidential leadership. Schmitt noted: "You have to have the White House and the president acting as the spokesman for it. There's just no question about that."
President Trump is positioning the upcoming Artemis II moon mission as a potential centerpiece of his second-term legacy, according to a New York Times report by Peter Baker. The mission, scheduled to launch this week, will send four astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have traveled since the Apollo program ended more than 50 years ago.
Trump's enthusiasm for space exploration marks a dramatic reversal from his 2015 campaign stance. When asked about space during a New Hampshire campaign stop, Trump dismissed the subject, saying: "Right now, we have bigger problems — you understand that? We've got to fix our potholes." By the time he entered office, however, he had embraced space exploration as integral to American greatness, and no president since Kennedy and Johnson has pushed NASA as aggressively.
Trump's ambitions extend well beyond Artemis II. Shortly after Jared Isaacman became NASA administrator in January, Trump called to ask about Mars missions and nuclear rockets, inquiring: "Are we doing something in the 2028 window for Mars? What do you think about the nuclear rocket?" Isaacman indicated that Trump envisions sustained lunar presence and infrastructure rather than brief visits. Trump emphasized: "We better be doing more than getting rocks this time."
Trump's public attention to the Artemis II launch has been notably limited. Though the four astronauts were seated in the gallery during his February State of the Union address, Trump did not acknowledge them or mention the mission. He has said little about it in recent days despite the launch's imminence.
Trump's space agenda faces fiscal constraints. The Trump administration proposed cutting NASA funding by 24 percent last year, a reduction that would have terminated more than 40 missions. Though Congress protected the Artemis program through budget legislation, nearly 4,000 NASA employees are departing through federal workforce reductions.
Questions remain about Trump's sustained commitment to the long-term program. Retired astronaut Cady Coleman expressed concerns about losing experienced personnel, while Apollo 17 moon walker Harrison H. Schmitt stressed the importance of presidential leadership. Schmitt noted: "You have to have the White House and the president acting as the spokesman for it. There's just no question about that."
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