Just days before his expected Senate confirmation, billionaire technology entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who is in line with Elon Musk's SpaceX, has been withdrawn from his nomination for NASA executives as President Donald Trump. The news began the same day, with Musk resigning from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and following Isaacman’s past political donations to Democratic candidates for a re-examination. According to Trump, a new nominee for the new NASA administrator will be announced soon, saying he will prioritize people who “masks are consistent” and who can “line the United States in space.”
“After a thorough review of the previous association, I withdraw Jared Isaacman's nomination here.” Trump announced in a May 31 social post on social media platform, who appointed Isaacman as his choice in December. Isaacman contributed $2 million to Trump's inauguration, but campaign finance records show he also donated to Democrats, including Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
Isaacman, 42, set up payment processing company Shift4 in 1999 with an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion. In recent years, he has become an outstanding figure in private space exploration, directing the 2021 All-Siviry Space Mission and returning to Orbit in 2024 and returning to Orbit in 2024, where he became the first private citizens to complete space. Shift4 also invested $27.5 million in SpaceX in 2021.
Isaacman said in the post-Trump X-mail, after Trump's announcement, “The President, NASA and the American people deserve the best – an executive willing to reorganize, rebuild and rally said in the post-Trump X-mail. He added: “No matter what form it may take, I did not perform my last mission – but I am still very optimistic that the greatest space age for mankind is in the future.” ”
Although Isaacman has close ties to Musk's space joint venture, he is willing to differ from the billionaire's perspective. During a nomination hearing held on the Senate Commerce Committee in April, he said he would prioritize NASA's lunar plan – Musk was previously seen as a “distraction.”
“Very few people find someone who is so capable and kind.”
Republican from Montana and member of the Senate Commerce Committee, Tim Sheehy, defended Isaacman a few hours before announcing his withdrawal. “I introduced Jared at the hearing and strongly opposed the nomination for him,” Sheehy said on May 31.
The response to evacuation was rapid. Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Jonathan McDowell, a center for Astrophysics, calls it “bad news” for NASA, while far-right activist Laura Loomer speculates that the move is to damage the connection between President Trump and Elon Musk by mid-2026. ”
Trump said he would soon announce the new nominee for NASA administrators, adding that he would prioritize someone who “allied” who could “line the United States in space.”
