Key points
- New NASA nominee to be named soon
- Removal bad news for the agency: Astronomer
- Retired US Air Force general suggested as possible replacement
ISLAMABAD: The White House withdrew on Saturday its nominee for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, abruptly yanking a close ally of Elon Musk from consideration to lead the space agency.
President Donald Trump said he would announce a new candidate soon, Reuters reported.
“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.
“I will soon announce a new nominee who will be mission aligned, and put America First in space.”
First private astronaut
Trump said last December, before returning to office, that he wanted the online payments entrepreneur and the first private astronaut to conduct a spacewalk to serve as the next head of NASA.
Earlier Saturday, the New York Times had reported the move was coming, quoting unnamed sources as saying the decision had come after the president learned Isaacman had donated money to prominent Democrats.
“It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,” Isaacman said in a post on X.
I am incredibly grateful to President Trump @POTUS, the Senate and all those who supported me throughout this journey. The past six months have been enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling. I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the complexities of government and the…
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) June 1, 2025
Asked about that report, the White House had told 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 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 said.
Nomination shakeup
The nomination shakeup appears to be a snub of billionaire Musk, who on Friday stepped back from his role leading Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk reportedly lobbied directly with the president for Isaacman, who has had significant business dealings with Musk’s SpaceX, to get the top NASA job, raising questions of possible conflicts of interest.
As the news surfaced, Musk stressed on X that “it is rare to find someone so competent and good-arted”.
It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2025
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 to gaze at Earth from the void of space while gripping the spacecraft’s exterior, during the first-ever spacewalk carried out by non-professional astronauts.
