Buzz Aldrin endorses Donald Trump

Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, has endorsed former President Donald Trump’s bid for the White House, in a blow to Vice President Kamala Harris.

With early voting underway nationwide and Election Day less than a week away, Trump and Harris, the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates, respectively, are making their final arguments to win voters’ support.

“The presidency requires an understanding of human nature, clarity of judgment, decisiveness, knowledge, understanding and composure under pressure, few have a natural ability to govern, or life experience to execute,” Aldrin said in a statement.

The former astronaut said the presidency required a “sober analysis” of situations and the instinct to “lead with determination.”

“From the skies over Korea in air-to-air combat to navigation, landing and walking on the Moon, I appreciate this kind of pressure,” Aldrin continued. “I know what it’s like to have to make those kinds of decisions, firm, principled, with determination and follow-through. Training, experience and trust matter.”

Polling data shows a razor-thin margin between the candidates, with Harris leading nationally with 49 percent of the vote to Trump’s 48 percent, according to The Economist‘s poll tracker.

Nate Silver’s forecast shows Harris 0.9 points ahead in the polls, with a 71 percent chance of winning the popular vote.

In his endorsement, Aldrin also expressed support for the creation of the US Space Force under the Trump administration.

“During the first Trump administration, I was impressed to see how human exploration of space was elevated, made a policy of high importance again. During President Trump’s first term, America saw a revitalized interest in space,” he wrote.

“These are concrete results that align with my concerns and America’s policy priorities,” Aldrin continued.

The United States Space Force was established as the sixth branch of the United States Armed Forces on December 20, 2019, through the National Defense Authorization Act.

Its primary mission is to organize, train, and equip military personnel to protect U.S. and allied interests in space. This includes securing satellites, space assets and US operations against threats from adversary nations.

Aldrin is a famous astronaut and engineer best known for being the second person to walk on the moon. Aldrin graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served as a fighter pilot during the Korean War before joining NASA in 1963.

He made history as the Lunar Module pilot for the Apollo 11 mission, which successfully landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.

After Neil Armstrong, Aldrin became the second person to step onto the lunar surface, conducting experiments and taking photographs during their pioneering lunar walk.

After his NASA career, Aldrin continued to advocate for space exploration and wrote several books, including his autobiography Return to Earth and the science fiction novel Meeting with the Tiber. He has also been an outspoken advocate for future human missions to Mars.

His contributions to space exploration have cemented his legacy as a key figure in the history of human spaceflight, and he has also shared his personal struggles with depression and alcoholism, using his platform to inspire others.