What's not true, though, is that Musk had any direct role in returning them to safety. SpaceX engineers coordinated with NASA on their rescue, and that plan was underway for months before the 2024 election.

President Trump has also tried to take credit for the return of the astronauts, writing on the official White House X (formerly Twitter) account: "PROMISE MADE, PROMISE KEPT: President Trump pledged to rescue the astronauts stranded in space for nine months."

The plan to get the astronauts home had been in motion since September, well before the presidential election, but both Trump and Musk wanted to take credit for the astronaut's return, and there are likely people who believe they are responsible.