U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would personally cover the overtime pay for astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore after discovering that they were only receiving $5 per day for their extended stay in space.

At the time of a media interaction in the Oval Office, Fox News journalist Peter Doocy pointed out that the two astronauts "Didn't get any overtime pay for all that extra time. They got USD 5 a day per day. For 286 days, that is USD 1,430 in extra pay." He inquired about what actions the administration could take to support them. In response, Trump said, "Well, nobody's ever mentioned this to me. If I have to, I'll pay it out of my own pocket...That's not a lot for what they had to go through."

After that, Trump thanked Elon Mask for his efforts to bring back the astronauts home. Trump said, "I want to thank Elon Musk... and if we didn't have Elon, they could have been up there a long time."

According to the New York Times, NASA spokesman Jimi Russell stated via email that "while in space, NASA astronauts are on official travel orders as federal employees." He also noted that the International Space Station astronauts do not receive overtime, holiday, or weekend pay.

Russell explained that while their transportation, meals, and accommodation are fully covered, they also receive a daily allowance for “incidental” expenses. This per diem payment is a substitute for travel reimbursements, similar to what other federal employees receive on work-related trips. He further noted that the incidental allowance for any travel destination is set at $5 per day.

In his remarks, Donald Trump highlighted the pressure Elon Musk is facing and stated, "He's (Musk) gone through a lot, what they're doing to him. And these people are going to be caught, and they're going to be prosecuted...I'll tell you, there's going to be no leniency, and there'll be no pardons."

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that individuals caught tampering with Tesla vehicles could face up to 20 years in prison. He made this announcement through a post on Truth Social. In recent weeks, vandals and protesters have targeted Tesla cars, dealerships, and charging stations. This surge in attacks began after Tesla CEO Elon Musk took on the role of head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).