President Donald Trump announced Saturday night he is withdrawing the nomination of space entrepreneur and astronaut Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator over “prior associations.” FEC records show Isaacman had been a donor to Democrats in the 2020s before he was nominated.
Isaacman, who was backed by recently departed DOGE chief Elon Musk, was nominated by Trump in December and easily cleared a Senate committee vote on April 30, 19-9. A confirmation vote by the full Senate, which Isaacman was reported to have over 70 votes in favor, was scheduled for next week.
Trump’s statement, “After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA. I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump ally Laura Loomer went to bat for Isaacman on Saturday, noting he had “over 70 votes” in the Senate (click tweet for the full Loomer post), but it appears his lengthy history of donating to Democrats did him in:
EXCLUSIVE: Deep State operatives are trying to derail President Trump’s NASA Administrator pick @rookisaacman Jared Isaacman before his Senate confirmation vote this week.
A well-placed source tells me Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be the next Administrator of @NASA was set… https://t.co/FnJWyzFx73
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 31, 2025
When he announced Isaacman’s nomination last December 4, Trump was effusive in his praise:
“I am delighted to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Jared will drive NASA’s mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration. Over the past 25 years, as the Founder and CEO of Shift4, Jared has demonstrated exceptional leadership, building a trailblazing global financial technology company. He also co-founded and served as CEO of Draken International, a defense aerospace company, for over a decade, supporting the U.S. Department of Defense, and our Allies. Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era. Congratulations to Jared, his wife Monica, and their children, Mila & Liv!”
Liz, Huston, Assistant White House Press Secretary, issued a statement to reporters Saturday afternoon in response to Beltway rumors about the Isaacman nomination being in jeopardy, “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.”
Background on Isaacman’s nomination from CNN (excerpt):
Isaacman sent shock waves through the space community when Trump first tapped him for NASA administrator in December, CNN previously reported.
Isaacman’s appointment was also met with broad support in the space community, which viewed him as a passionate leader, and his spaceflight experience was considered a bonus. Isaacman, the CEO of payments platform company Shift4, was viewed with deep skepticism by Democratic lawmakers concerned he would use his position at NASA to advance Musk’s personal interests.
During Isaacman’s confirmation hearing, he signaled he would back an effort to land humans on Mars. The remarks were notable because NASA has been squarely focused on the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon, since Trump’s first term.
Only since Musk became a close Trump ally in 2024 has the president vocalized an interest in human exploration of Mars, which has been Musk’s longtime goal.
Isaacman indicated during the confirmation hearing that he hoped to back both the Artemis program’s underlying goals and “prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars.”
“Along the way (to Mars), we will inevitably have the capabilities to return to the Moon and determine the scientific, economic and national security benefits of maintaining a presence on the lunar surface,” Isaacman said.
Reaction by Elon Musk, “It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted”
It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2025
The New York Times reported Saturday on Trump’s concerns (and upset at not being told earlier) about Isaacman’s Democrat donations (excerpt)
Mr. Trump told associates he had learned from allies that Mr. Isaacman had donated to Democrats, including Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and former Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, as well as the California Democratic Party, during the past two campaign cycles, the people with knowledge of the deliberations said.
Mr. Trump told advisers he was surprised he had not been told about those donations previously, two people briefed on the matter said, neither of whom was authorized to discuss the matter. Sergio Gor, the director of the Presidential Personnel Office who has clashed with Mr. Musk over nominees, supported Mr. Trump’s moving to withdraw the nomination, two other people briefed on the matter said.
An aide to Mr. Musk did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Installing Mr. Isaacman, 42, at NASA was one of the biggest benefits that Mr. Musk had pulled off for himself. The space agency previously had a $25 billion budget and is crucial to Mr. Musk’s rocket business, SpaceX. Mr. Isaacman, a pilot who has privately flown to space twice with SpaceX, ingratiated himself with the president by giving $2 million to Mr. Trump’s inaugural committee.
Excerpt from Wikipedia bio:
Jared Taylor Isaacman (born February 11, 1983) is an American billionaire entrepreneur, pilot, and commercial astronaut. He is the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, a payment processor, and the founder of Draken International, which provides adversary training to the U.S., British, and other NATO air forces.[3] Through his leadership in private spaceflight, Isaacman has been credited with advancing competition in the space industry and reducing reliance on government programs.[4][5][6] As of May 2025, his estimated net worth is US$1.4 billion.[7][8]
Isaacman commanded Inspiration4 – the first all-civilian spaceflight – using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Resilience which launched from Kennedy Space Center on September 16, 2021. He later led Polaris Dawn, during which he became the first private citizen to perform a spacewalk…
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