Donald Trump Pulls NASA Nominee Days Before Senate Vote
By Peter Aitken
President Donald Trump will announce a new nominee for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator after rescinding his nomination of Jared Isaacman just days before the Senate was set to vote on him.
In an emailed statement, White House assistant press secretary Liz Houston told Newsweek on Saturday: "The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump's bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars. It's essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon."
Why It Matters
Isaacman, 42, is the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments and a prominent figure in the private sector due to his collaborations with SpaceX. He made history as the commander of the Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital mission, and Polaris Dawn, which included the first private spacewalk.
Isaacman is a billionaire and former fighter jet pilot who used the call sign "Rookie." He has described himself as a "space geek," and has had support from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk throughout the nomination process.
Isaacman had cleared vetting by the Senate Commerce Committee in April, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune had planned to advance the nomination to a floor vote when the Senate returned following the Memorial Day recess.
What To Know
Semafor first broke the story on Saturday, reporting that Isaacman's supporters had started to rally around him as word started to spread that the White House would pull his nomination.
Senator Tim Sheehy, a Montana Republican, took to X, formerly Twitter, to back the "strong choice" of Isaacman and oppose the effort to "derail" his nomination. Musk then responded to Sheehy's post with the heart emoji and an American flag.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer, who has proven to have a close relationship with Trump, wrote on X that Washington, D.C., insiders had been working to convince the president to pull the plug on Isaacman before his confirmation vote as "retaliation because of his friendship with Elon Musk."
This week, Musk, who led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced that he was leaving the Trump administration.
"If so, this would suggest there is a coordinated hit job on Isaacman in an effort to damage ties between President Trump and Elon Musk before the 2026 midterms, even though the two of them just held an Oval Office meeting and press conference yesterday where [POTUS] praised Elon for for his generosity, his work at [DOGE], and even gave Elon a key to the White House," Loomer wrote.
Collaboration between Musk and Isaacson dates back to 2021 when he headed up the Inspiration4mission, followed by the Polaris Dawn mission.
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Musk, following Isaacman's nomination to the post, wrote in a congratulatory message that "Jared's passion for space and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration make him uniquely suited for this role."
However, the NASA administrator role will prove crucial in coming years as the agency seeks first to return humans to the moon through the Artemis program, followed by aggressive plans to reach Mars within a decade.
Donald Trump Jared Isaacman NASA
Jared Isaacman testifies during a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 9 in Washington, D.C. Inset: President Donald Trump speaks in West... More Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images // Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
What People Are Saying
Far-right activist Laura Loomer wrote on X: "Is President Trump aware of the ulterior motives by some individuals in the administration who have an interest in seeing Isaacman's nomination pulled? Let me remind you who Jared Isaacman is. Yes, he has been a liberal in the past like [Elon Musk], but as it relates to MERIT and his knowledge of Space, his credentials are unmatched. Here's what Isaacman has accomplished at 42 years old."
She added that "Isaacman was on track to get over 70 Senate votes. So why the sudden reversal and talks to pull his nomination? Because the Deep State doesn't want President Trump to have allies like this in his administration. This is concerning."
In a follow-up post, Loomer wrote: "I'm also told Jared Isaacman was going to donate some of his own military aircraft decked out in RED WHITE AND BLUE for the upcoming Military Parade that President Trump is very excited to host in Washington DC on his birthday this year. Weird that his nomination is set to be pulled on Monday... Hopefully things will be revisited over the next 48 hours."
Senator Tim Sheehy, a Montana Republican, wrote on X: "Astronaut and successful businessman [Isaacman] was a strong choice by President Trump to lead NASA. I was proud to introduce Jared at his hearing and strongly oppose efforts to derail his nomination."
What Happens Next?
Trump will provide a new nominee for NASA administrator who will need to clear Senate committee approval and a floor vote before taking on the difficult task of leading the space agency through an aggressive and ambitious period.
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