Update May 31, 11:40 p.m. EDT: Added comments from President Trump and Jared Isaacman.
In an abrupt about-face on Saturday, President Donald Trump pulled the nomination of his pick for the next person to lead NASA. His nomination was days away from a vote in front of the full U.S. Senate.
The withdrawal of Jared Isaacman, an entrepreneur and commercial astronaut, came less than a day after NASA published its proposed budget, which fleshes out the deep cuts forecast in the “skinny budget” previously released.
“I am incredibly grateful to President Trump @POTUS, the Senate and all those who supported me throughout this journey,” Isaacman wrote in a post on X. “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 weight our political leaders carry.”
Semafor was the first news outlet to report the ouster of Isaacman, which was then confirmed by the White House. Laura Loomer, a political ally of Trump and an unofficial advisor, wrote about the possible ouster on her X account a couple of hours before Semafor published its article.
“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,” Liz Huston, a spokesperson for the White House, said in a statement Saturday afternoon. “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.”
Isaacman was nominated to be the NASA Administrator in early December 2024 and received a stamp of approval from the Senate’s Commerce Committee in late April when his nomination was advanced in a 19-9 vote.
Huston did not immediately respond to Spaceflight Now about the reasoning behind the decision and when to expect the President to announce a replacement for Isaacman. Hours after the statement was shared, Trump took to his own social media where he suggested the reason for the withdrawal had to do with Isaacman’s “prior associations.”
In the months since his nomination, Isaacman has spent time with senators and governors of various states impacted by the presence of NASA in order to shore up support for his nomination.
And while Isaacman hasn’t spent much time in the world of politics, The New York Times is reporting that one of Trump’s big issues with Isaacman was his donations to Democratic politicians and political action committees (PACs).
Donor records from Open Secrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit that discloses money in politics, show 31 donations to politicians and PACs, which include a mix of Democrats and Republicans. Those included to former NASA astronaut and current Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (D) in 2022 and George Whitesides (CA-27), a Democrat who formerly served as a NASA Chief of Staff.
Open Secrets lists Isaacman’s most recent donation to a Republican was back in 2016 when he made a $500 donation to now former Rep. Dennis Ross (FL-15). Laura Loomer, a political ally and unofficial advisor to Trump, said on X that Isaacman also donated $2 million to support the presidential inauguration in January.
Isaacman said from his perspective, the vetting process brought out the best in lawmakers as he presented how he wanted to carry forward NASA’s mission objectives.
“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. “That was on full display during my hearing, where leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to fight for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”
In a post on X, Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) pushed back against the idea of removing Isaacman from consideration.
“Astronaut and successful businessman @RookIssacman was a strong choice by President Trump to lead NASA,” Sheehy wrote. “I was proud to introduce Jared at his hearing and strongly oppose efforts to derail his nomination.”
Loomer suggested that Isaacman’s close ties to SpaceX Founder and Republican Party mega-donor Elon Musk may have also contributed to Isaacman’s 12th hour ouster. Isaacman was the commander for two commercial astronaut missions onboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule: Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn.
Prior to his nomination, Isaacman deeply involved with the Polaris Program, his initiative to expand the boundaries of opportunities for commercial space. The second out of three planned missions hadn’t been publicly fleshed out, but the stated goal was for the Polaris Program to facilitate the first crewed launch of a Starship rocket.
Questions arose during Isaacman’s nomination hearing about Musk’s presence during the process, given his role with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) simultaneously with the large number of contracts between NASA and SpaceX. In a back and forth with Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), Isaacman declined to answer in his hearing whether or not Musk was in the room when Trump was interviewing him for the role of NASA Administrator.
In response to a post on X, Musk wrote “It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.”
Until a new nominee is announced and goes through the confirmation process, NASA will continue to be led by acting Administrator Janet Petro, who most recently served as director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
“The President, NASA and the American people deserve the very best–an Administrator ready to reorganize, rebuild and rally the best and brightest minds to deliver the world-changing headlines NASA was built to create,” Isaacman said. “I have not flown my last mission—whatever form that may ultimately take–but I remain incredibly optimistic that humanity’s greatest spacefaring days lie ahead.
“I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity and cheering on our President and NASA as they lead us on the greatest adventure in human history.”
