Elon Musk is not your average billionaire. The man behind Tesla, SpaceX, and several other futuristic ventures, Musk is known for dreaming big—and making those dreams a reality.
Whether it is building electric cars, launching rockets, or planning to colonize Mars, he’s always had his eyes set on the stars. So, when former U.S. President Donald Trump talked about sending Americans to Mars during his inauguration speech, it was no surprise that Musk couldn’t contain his excitement.
At the ceremony held inside the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, Trump declared,
“We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.”
He spoke passionately about a future where America leads the way into space, calling it the beginning of “the golden age of America.”
Musk, who attended the event as an honored guest and open supporter of Trump, was seen visibly thrilled. As soon as Mars was mentioned, he lit up with joy—grinning, cheering, and quite literally bouncing with excitement. Standing beside him was Barron Trump, 18, who remained calm and simply applauded the announcement.
Musk’s over-the-top reaction quickly became the talk of the internet. Clips of his enthusiastic moment spread like wildfire on social media. Users on X (formerly Twitter) reacted with amusement and admiration:
“$MARS is the destination,” one wrote.
“He is enjoying the moment,” another commented.
“Elon’s like a big kid! 😂 He makes me smile! 😊” said a third.
For Musk, who has been working for years to make human life multi-planetary through SpaceX, hearing a U.S. President speak publicly about a Mars mission was clearly a huge deal.
Meanwhile, Trump went on to say that his presidency marks a “liberation day” and that he hopes to be remembered as a “peacemaker and unifier.” But in that moment, it was Elon Musk’s unfiltered happiness that truly stole the spotlight.