A recent video shared by Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, has sparked widespread mockery after capturing an awkward exchange between the former president and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during a rocket launch in Texas. The footage, part of Kai’s YouTube vlog series, shows Trump asking Musk a “clueless” question about reusing a SpaceX rocket booster—after it had crashed and exploded into the Gulf of Mexico.
The incident occurred during a test flight of SpaceX’s Starship rocket, which was aiming to demonstrate its ability to land boosters safely using giant mechanical arms. However, just minutes into the launch, the mission director called off the landing attempt, and the booster was intentionally allowed to crash into the sea, resulting in a fiery explosion. This setback was a significant moment for SpaceX, as reusing boosters is a key part of their strategy to reduce the cost of space travel.
In the video, Trump, who had joined Musk to watch the launch, appears somewhat out of his depth when he asks, “Can they use that again? Can they get it from the sea?” His question, seemingly oblivious to the reality of the situation, left Musk visibly taken aback. “Uhh, it’s going to be… it’s probably gonna blow up. That’s my guess,” Musk replies, clearly trying to navigate the awkward moment with a sense of humor.
The interaction quickly went viral prompting widespread jokes about Trump’s question and highlighting Trump’s apparent unfamiliarity with technology.
Trump’s behavior at the launch raised eyebrows for another reason, too. According to behavioral expert Darren Stanton, Trump appeared unusually uncomfortable at the event.
“Trump was very uneasy,” Stanton said. “Usually, he comes over as this alpha male, the most empowered, most powerful person in the room.” However, he added, Trump was “out of his depth — his hands were just by his side like a mannequin.”
Watch the cringe moment in the video below (The conversation takes place at the 7:12 mark):
Watching a Rocket Launch at SpaceX with Elon Musk! pic.twitter.com/9YvhWALM4P
— Kai Trump (@kaitrump) November 26, 2024
