Trump Yanks Close Musk Ally From NASA Nomination Just Days Before Senate Vote
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Just days ahead of Senate confirmation, President Donald Trump on Saturday nixed the nomination of billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to be the next head of NASA — a role for which Elon Musk personally recommended him — citing in part Isaacman’s past donations to Democrats.
Semafor reported that Isaacman’s name was pulled, and shared this statement from White House spox Liz Huston: “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’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.”
Speculation on social media exploded earlier on Saturday that the nomination was at risk after MAGA figure Laura Loomer posted on X, writing that “deep State operatives” were trying to sabotage him, possibly as part of a plot to “damage ties between President Trump and Elon Musk before the 2026 midterms.”
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman noted in her own report that Musk “personally lobbied for” Isaacman, who was advanced to the full senate by the Commerce Committee back in April. And her report with Jonathan Swan and Kenneth Chang adds that the writing was on the wall when Trump learned of Isaacman’s past political donations.
Mr. Trump told associates he intended to yank Mr. Isaacman’s nomination after learning that he had donated to prominent Democrats, according to three people with knowledge of the deliberations who were not authorized to discuss them publicly. It was the latest example of loyalty as a key criterion for administration roles.
“Mr. Isaacman, who declined to comment when reached by phone on Saturday, was informed of the decision on Friday, which was also Mr. Musk’s last day in the White House as a special government employee,” the report adds.
Haberman said Friday that many of Trump’s allies and staff are “happy” to see Musk out of the picture in the administration.
