NASA reconsiders Jared Isaacman for administrator role after withdrawal
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NASA is studying again Elon Musk Jared Isaacman’s ally for the top management role.
The private astronaut was nominated for the role earlier this year, but the White House withdrew that nomination as cracks appeared in President Donald Trump’s relationship with Musk.
“Secretary Duffy “He and Jared Isaacman had an excellent meeting,” NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens told Reuters for the first time in a statement this week.
She added in a statement to Fox News Digital: “Based on the directives of President Trump, Secretary [Sean] As NASA’s acting administrator, Duffy meets with and vets numerous candidates for this permanent role.
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NASA is studying again Elon Musk Jared Isaacman’s ally for the top management role. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The nomination was withdrawn on May 31, a day after the White House held a news conference to bid farewell to Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO who led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort.
Trump made the announcement on social media as he was withdrawing the nomination of Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and founder and CEO of payment processing company Shift4 Payments, after a “thorough review of past engagements.”
Trump also said he would unveil “a new nominee who will be committed to the mission and put America first in space.”
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Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy served as acting administrator of NASA. (Stephanie Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Isaacman’s connections with Musk include being an investor in SpaceX, as well as leading two private companies Spaceflight missions With SpaceX, including Inspiration4. The 2021 Inspiration4 mission was the first time an all-civilian crew orbited Earth.
The billionaire investor twice flew into space in company capsules.
He had spent months in the Senate confirmation process at the time his nomination was selected, balancing NASA’s multibillion-dollar strategy to return to the moon first with its focus on Mars. NASA recently revealed plans to develop a nuclear reactor on the moon.
Isaacman said he suspected his relationships with Musk were part of the decision, noting that the call came on the same day Musk’s tenure with DOGE ended.
“I don’t need to play dumb about this,” Isaacman said on the “All In” radio show. “I don’t think the timing was just a coincidence, there were other changes taking place on the same day.
“There were some people who had some axes to grind, I guess, and I was a good, visible target.”
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Isaacman has made two SpaceX flights into space. (SpaceX/Fox News)
Tensions between Trump and Musk came to a head when Musk opposed the “Big Beautiful Bill,” Trump’s massive tax and spending package.
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Relations between the spouses seem to be improving. They shook hands and talked at Charlie Kirk’s funeral Glendale Arizona last month.
“We had a short conversation,” Trump said. “We had a very good relationship, but it was nice for him to come to us.”