Trump withdraws nomination of Musk ally Isaacman as NASA head
dpa
Washington
US President Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination of billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as NASA head 'after a thorough review of prior associations.'
On taking office in January, Trump proposed Isaacman, a close associate of SpaceX boss Elon Musk, to succeed Bill Nelson at the helm of the space agency, who left at the end of the presidency of Joe Biden.
According to US media reports, Isaacman was to have been approved by the Senate shortly. But on Saturday evening, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he would soon announce a new nominee 'who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space,' without elaborating further. In an indication of growing distance from Trump, Musk responded on his own social media platform X: 'This sucks. I can't think of a better person for the job than Jared.'
Trump's decision took observers by surprise, as he had praised Isaacman highly in December before taking office, saying he would 'drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration.'
Responding to Trump's decision, Isaacman posted on X that he was grateful for the opportunity and said he would be cheering the president and NASA on. 'I have not flown my last mission - whatever form that may ultimately take,' he said.
Isaacman has participated in two private space missions. In 2021, he was one of the first non-professional crew in space, joining three others on a three-day trip around Earth.
In September last year, he was part of the Polaris Dawn mission alongside three other space tourists, undertaking a space walk. In both missions he collaborated with Musk's SpaceX. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the New York Times reported that Trump had told associates he intended to 'yank' Isaacman's nomination after being told that Isaacman had donated to prominent Democrats.
The decision was the latest example of how Trump 'uses loyalty as a key criterion for top administration roles,' the daily wrote.
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