From ignoring Pride Month to hating on the First Amendment to refusing to host the White House Eid dinner, Donald Trump is no stranger to ruining anything and everything decent in America. This time around, the target hes chosen isspace travel. At the signing for an executive order that reinstates the National Space Council, Trumps remarks were strange and small-minded, re-framing space exploration as a matter of Mike Pences personal interests, space security, and a popularity contest to see wholl be chosen for the advisory board everybody wants to be on.

(Buzz Aldrin, in the above video, is all of us.)

Space travel is supposed to be about a better understanding of the universe; pushing the bounds of our collaborative, collective ingenuity; and, well, taking really cool photos of really far-away places. Instead, the U.S. got this.

Trump explained that he is reviving the National Space Council because Mike [Pence] is very much into space. Trump himself, though, also Feel[s] very strongly about it. Ive felt strongly about it for a long time. I used to say before doing what I did I used to say, what happened? Why arent we moving forward?

The National Space Council was originally founded by President John F. Kennedy, with his Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson as the council chair. It also played a significant role in the Reagan and Bush administrations, before the Clinton administration decided to do away with it. You can read more about its history at Ars Technica.

In reviving the Council, Trump tried to play up his trademark nonsense-hyperbole about leadership and renewal.The future of American space leadership were going to lead again, he said. Its been a long time. Its over 25 years, and were opening up, and we are going to be leading again like weve never led before.

Were a nation of pioneers, and the next great American frontier is space, he continued. And we never completed we started, but we never completed. We stopped. But now we start again. And we have tremendous spirit, and were going to have tremendous spirit from the private sector maybe in particular from the private sector.

Trump also couldnt resist turning the initiative into a reality-show competition and popularity contest. Speaking to the composition of the Councils users advisory board, he said, And the Vice President, myself, and a few others are going to pick some private people to be on the board. I will say thats not easy, because everybody wants to be on this board. People that you wouldnt have believed loved what were doing so much they want to some of the most successful people in the world want to be on this board.

At other points during his speech, Trump just couldnt stop himself from transforming a normal, presidential statement into foolery.Our travels beyond the Earth propel scientific discoveries that improve our lives in countless ways here, right here, at home, he said, like a human adult, powering vast new industry, spurring incredible new technology, and providing the space security we need to protect the American people. The what? And security is going to be a very big factor with respect to space and space exploration. At some point in the future, were going to look back and say how did we do it without space?

After the order was signed, Buzz Aldrin attempted to make a little Toy Story joke.Infinity and beyond, he said, to laughter from the group.

Trump responded: This is infinity here. It could be infinity. We dont really dont know. But it could be. It has to be something but it could be infinity, right? Okay.

Readers, this is hardly the most outrageous thing Trump has done, but Im just so profoundly embarrassed at this point. How do you make space travel feel this petty and uninspiring?

(Via The White House; featured image via screengrab)

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With Space Security Remarks, Trump Even Finds a Way to Ruin Space Exploration - The Mary Sue