On Saturday, the White House unexpectedly withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator, removing Elon Musk’s close ally from consideration to lead the space agency.
“I will soon announce a new nominee who will be mission-focused and put America First in space,” Trump said.
Jared Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut and Elon Musk’s chosen candidate to lead NASA, was scheduled for a long-delayed Senate confirmation vote next week. His sudden removal surprised many in the space community.
Neither Trump nor the White House provided an explanation for the decision.
In a message posted on X, Isaacman acknowledged the situation, saying, “Though it may not always be clear amid the noise and challenges, there are many capable, committed people who love this country and are deeply invested in the mission.”
“That dedication was evident during my confirmation hearing, where leaders from both parties expressed their commitment to defending the world’s leading space agency.
I am deeply grateful to President Trump, the Senate, and everyone who supported me,” Isaacman said.
His withdrawal comes just days after Elon Musk officially left his White House role as a “special government employee” heading the Department of Government Efficiency — a position that reportedly caused friction within the administration and frustrated some of Trump’s aides.
The news was first reported by Semafor.
Musk has not responded publicly to requests for comment, but a source close to him said he was disappointed by Isaacman’s removal.
On X, Musk described Isaacman as “rarely someone so competent and good-hearted,” expressing his support in response to the announcement.
It remains unclear who the administration will nominate to replace Isaacman.
One potential candidate is retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Steven Kwast, an early proponent of the U.S. Space Force and a known Trump supporter, according to three sources familiar with the discussions.
Isaacman, former CEO of payment processor Shift4, enjoyed wide backing within the space industry but faced scrutiny from lawmakers over his close ties to Musk and SpaceX, where he invested hundreds of millions as a pioneering private spaceflight customer.
Additionally, Isaacman had previously donated to Democratic candidates. During his April confirmation hearing, he sought to strike a balance between NASA’s current moon-focused exploration goals and growing calls to pivot toward Mars, suggesting the U.S. could pursue missions to both destinations.
As a potential leader of NASA’s roughly 18,000 employees, Isaacman faced the challenging task of prioritizing Mars exploration—a shift that would require navigating the agency’s long-term, multi-billion-dollar investments aimed at returning astronauts to the moon.
On Friday, NASA unveiled details of the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposal, which called for cutting dozens of space science programs and laying off thousands of employees—a move that space advocates and lawmakers widely condemned as devastating for the agency.
Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, praised Isaacman on X, calling him “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,” Sheehy added.
Some scientists viewed the change in nominee as another destabilizing blow to NASA, which now faces significant budget cuts without a confirmed leader to steer it through political challenges involving Congress, the White House, and its workforce.
“Not having Isaacman as NASA’s head is bad news for the agency,” Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Jonathan McDowell wrote on X.
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