Trump watches Artemis II splashdown during $1M-per-guest fundraiser

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA: President Donald Trump had a television wheeled into a $1 million-per-person fundraiser this weekend so donors could catch the splashdown of Artemis II in real time.

The setting was a tightly controlled “Candlelight Dinner” at Trump Winery, where invitations pegged attendance at a cool $1,000,000 per guest.

Trump hosts fundraiser amid tensions with Iran

The official invite to the fundraiser reportedly read:

“MAGA INC.

YOU ARE INVITED TO A CANDLELIGHT DINNER

FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER

President Donald J. Trump

45th and 47th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Saturday, April 11, 2026, Trump Winery Charlottesville, VA

Additional details provided upon RSVP. RSVPs will be accommodated on a first come. first served basis. Space is very limited.

$1,000,000 Per Person”

The event itself was closed to the press, but word still got out. A White House official tipped off reporters that the President and his deep-pocketed guests paused the evening to watch history unfold.

An email excerpt read:

“Sent: Friday, April 10, 2026 8:16 PM

Subject: Travel Pool Report 6/Splashdown

A White House official shares with the pool that President Trump watched the splashdown of Artemis II.

A TV was wheeled into the room for the president and his MAGA Inc. guests at Trump Winery.”

Reporters weren’t allowed inside, though they did catch a glimpse of Trump briefly stepping out to take in the vineyard views before heading back in.

The fundraiser unfolded amid geopolitical tensions. Just hours earlier, Trump had set an 8 PM Tuesday deadline tied to threats to destroy the “whole civilization” of Iran. Conflicting announcements pointed to a possible two-week ceasefire, with Trump and allies calling it a win even as the Strait of Hormuz remained largely closed.

Trump praises Artemis II astronauts

Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the Artemis mission.

“Congratulations to the Great and Very Talented Crew of Artemis II," he wrote. "The entire trip was spectacular, the landing was perfect and, as President of the United States, I could not be more proud! I look forward to seeing you all at the White House soon. We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

The praise came after remarks he had delivered earlier in a call with the astronauts during their journey around the moon.

"Today, you've made history and made all America really proud," he said. "Humans have never really seen anything quite like what you're doing in a manned spacecraft. It's really special."

During the roughly 12-minute conversation, Trump also noted their role in pushing the boundaries of space exploration.

"America is a frontier nation, and the four brave astronauts of Artemis II … really are modern-day pioneers," the President said, adding that the U.S. plans to "push on to Mars" next.

The mission itself broke records. The four astronauts (three Americans and one Canadian) traveled farther from Earth than any humans before, reaching 252,756 miles and surpassing the Apollo 13 record by more than 4,000 miles. They also became the first humans to see parts of the moon’s far side with the naked eye.

Speaking to them when they were just over 250,000 miles away, Trump joined an exclusive club of presidents making extraordinarily long-distance calls to space. It is a tradition most famously associated with Richard Nixon speaking to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the lunar surface.