CAPTION: President Gives Unscheduled Remarks

Good morning.

First of all, I would like to thank the American people for their support over the last two years. Together, we have achieved great things. Making America energy independent, sharply reducing greenhouse gases and developing new technologies that will assure the United States remains a dominant superpower well into the 21st century.

And, of course, there was our first manned mission to Mars. And despite the recent casualties, our journey to the Red Planet will go down in history as a remarkable achievement, equal to the Lewis and Clark expedition, Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigating the Earth, and Aleksei Leonov landing on the moon in June of 1969.

And yet, after all we have accomplished, I come before you today to confess that I have failed you. Because I lied to you. And in doing so, I broke the covenant of trust that is essential between a president and the American people.

I not only failed to tell you the truth, I also failed to protect the men and women serving bravely in our armed forces.

I failed to stand up for some of our most vulnerable fellow citizens who have faced acts of prejudice and discrimination.

And I failed to defend the rights and the dignity of Will Tyler, a brave American hero serving his country on the surface of Mars at this very moment.

And I failed someone very close to me because I was afraid to stand up and tell the truth.

I failed because I feared what people would think of me, and I failed to trust the compassion and judgment of you, the American people.

I underestimated you. And for that, I am truly sorry. I cannot correct my past mistakes, but I can stop lying to you right here, right now, and give you the simple truth.

I'm gay, and I have been since the day I was born.

(cut to Margo Madison smiling)

That's how you know it's SF. Not the US quitting oil. Not Leonov's Moon landing or crewed Mars missions. But a POTUS admitting a lie.

#ForAllMankind #USpol

Lunar plaque as placed:
"First set foot upon the moon -
"We came in peace for -----"

#Haiku #OneHaikuADay #WritersCollective #writingcommunity #BackToHaiku #Seasons #Summer #July #NASA #Moon #Lunar #LM #Apollo #Apollo11 #Armstrong #Aldrin #Collins #OneGiantLeap #ForAllMankind #Space #Exploration #Departure #July21

July 21, 2025