Independence Day came and went as President Donald Trump turned another holiday into a humiliating spectacle for others.

After the chaos surrounding his Great American State Fair earlier in the day, Trump made his supporters wait hours before he came onstage for his final address at Washington’s National Mall.

But when it came time to introduce a more inspiring party, he stumbled through the moment, leaving many online saying it was hard to watch.

Trump forgot the names of the Artemis II astronauts he'd just praised on the National Mall — months after claiming he'd have "no trouble" becoming one himself. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump forgot the names of the Artemis II astronauts he’d just praised on the National Mall — months after claiming he’d have “no trouble” becoming one himself. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

During his “Salute to America” address marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, Trump celebrated U.S. space dominance.

He invited the men and women of NASA’s Artemis II astronauts to the stage.

But in a split second, the former reality star seemed to forget who they were.

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Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen completed their mission on April 10, becoming the first humans to reach the moon since the Apollo era after a successful 10-day lunar flyby aboard Orion.

“So tonight, we’re joined by the crew of NASA Artemis. You know, you know, the crew—everybody, Artemis II,” he said as they walked out.

“Everybody watched. Isn’t that amazing? And they became very famous. Everybody watched. I was watching. I don’t know what it was, but that one got the attention of everybody,” he added.

The Artemis crew were joined on stage by Harrison Schmitt, according to the New York Post, the last living person to walk on the moon during Apollo 17 in 1972.

Schmitt is the last living person to walk on the moon during Apollo 17 in 1972. He joins four surviving moonwalkers, alongside Buzz Aldrin, Charlie Duke, and David Scott.

A video of Trump’s awkward introduction immediately made the rounds online. Critics questioned how the president could invite the astronauts onstage, then draw a blank when it came to their names.

“He can’t read off their names?” one X user snapped. Another asked, “Why are they dragging the astronauts into his political rally? Who’s next? The conservatives on the Supreme Court?” Someone else wrote, “Forcing government employees to show up for his [show]— classy.”

“No one bothered to write their names down for me to read to you, and there’s no way in hell that I could’ve remembered them,” a fourth person joked.

Others argued that the moment diminished the significance of the astronauts’ accomplishments.

”Saddened he uses these professionals as a prop. To make him look great. Doesn’t work with people who can think for themselves,” quipped one person.

Critics have other theories about why Trump invited astronauts on stage. “He’s making fun of them,” alleged one person. “Oof that was awful. Painful to watch,” wrote another person in disbelief.

Trump’s exchange revived memories of his April Oval Office meeting with the same astronaut crew.

During that appearance, the president praised their intelligence and courage before steering the conversation back to himself.

“I don’t know how they do it. I wouldn’t want to do it, but it takes people like this to make our country great,” Trump said before adding, “To get in there, you have to be very smart. You have to do a lot of things physically good.”

Yet for some reason, the purported 238-pound man believes he could work right alongside them, adding, “I would have had no trouble making it. I’m physically, very, very good.”

After Sunday’s rocky introduction, Trump returned to his longstanding promise to send Americans to Mars.

“I assume you’re going to be heading to Mars,” he told the astronauts. “We’re going to be going to Mars very soon, and I think that’s something that we do have in mind. And we’re going to do the moon, and we’re going to go from there. We’re going to go to Mars, and we’re going to continue to be way ahead.”

He also claimed previous administrations had allowed the United States to fall behind its rivals.

Trump said people once thought the initiative was “foolish,” but insisted it helped the U.S. overtake Russia and China in space. He claimed America is now “leading them by giant steps,” calling the turnaround “a great thing.”

The United States has never sent humans to Mars, though it remains the only nation to successfully land and operate robotic rovers there. Scientists generally view a crewed mission as possible sometime during the 2030s, provided major engineering, safety, and human health challenges can be overcome.

‘Painful to Watch’: Trump Parades NASA Astronauts Onstage Like ‘Props’ After His Bold Space Claim, Then Draws a Blank About Who’s Standing Beside Him