Following a “thorough review” of Isaacman’s “prior associations,” President Trump said that tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman—an ally of Trump adviser Elon Musk—would not be nominated to head NASA.
The White House did not answer to an email requesting an explanation, so it was unclear what Trump meant.
In a late Saturday post on his social media site, Trump said that he was withdrawing his candidacy of Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, after a comprehensive assessment of his past associations. “America First in Space will be represented by a new nominee whom I will soon announce. They are mission aligned.”
According to Isaacman’s X post, the last six months have been “enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling.” He expressed his gratitude to Trump and the Senate thereafter.
The speaker emphasized that despite the noise and chaos, there are many capable individuals who are patriotic and committed to the cause. “That was clearly demonstrated during my hearing, when leaders from all political parties expressed their willingness to stand up for the most successful space agency in the world.”
During his December State of the Union address, Trump named Isaacman to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Since purchasing his initial chartered flight on Musk’s SpaceX firm in 2021, 42-year-old Isaacman has been an intimate collaborator with Musk.
He started the credit card processing startup Shift4 and serves as its CEO. In addition to being the first private spacewalker, he purchased a number of space missions from SpaceX. NASA has awarded SpaceX many contracts.
In late April, the candidacy of Isaacman was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and a vote by the entire Senate was anticipated shortly after.
Following Saturday’s revelation, Musk seemed to bemoan Trump’s decision, writing on the X site, “It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.”
Musk, a supporter and adviser to Trump’s campaign, has announced his departure from the government this week after serving as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for a number of months; he owns SpaceX. Trump appointed Musk as head of the agency and boosted the federal government’s budget.
It was Semafor who broke the news that the nomination of Isaacman had been withdrawn by the White House.
