US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday his decision to withdraw the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk, to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Last December, prior to his return to office, Trump had expressed his desire for the online payments entrepreneur and the first private astronaut to conduct a spacewalk to serve as the next head of NASA.
However, on Saturday, Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that “after a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head Nasa.” He added, “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.” Earlier on Saturday, the New York Times had reported the impending move, quoting unnamed sources who indicated the decision stemmed from the president learning that Isaacman had donated money to prominent Democrats.
When asked about that report, the White House had informed AFP in an email that it was “essential that the next leader of Nasa is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda.” The statement further emphasized, “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.”
This nomination shakeup appears to be a clear snub to billionaire Musk, who on Friday stepped back from his role leading Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk had reportedly lobbied directly with the president for Isaacman, who has had significant business dealings with Musk’s SpaceX, to secure the top NASA position, raising questions of potential conflicts of interest. As the news of the withdrawal surfaced, Musk stressed on X that “it is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.”
The 42-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments has emerged as a leading figure in commercial spaceflight through his high-profile collaborations with SpaceX. He made history last September by stepping out of a Crew Dragon capsule to gaze at Earth from the vacuum of space while gripping the spacecraft’s exterior, during the first-ever spacewalk carried out by non-professional astronauts.
