The renowned businessman and space alumnus Jared Isaacman is no longer in the running to be the next NASA Administrator who will succeed Bill Nelson, and this directive reportedly came from President Donald Trump himself.
It is known that it is also President Trump who chose Isaacman to be the nominee for the NASA Administrator position after he won the elections.
Isaacman is not only a renowned civilian astronaut, but he is also a famed ally of one of Trump’s closest advisors, Elon Musk.
Trump Changes His Mind on Jared Isaacman for NASA
Semafor first reported the massive changes that took place over the weekend, particularly as President Trump has changed his mind about Isaacman being the next NASA Administrator that would lead the agency under his term. Before this, it was already a clear-cut case for NASA’s next administrator to be Isaacman, with the American tech mogul and billionaire bringing in a unique perspective for the space agency.
Isaacman is still only a civilian, but his feats with SpaceX and Musk over the years certainly earned him significant accolades and an unofficial designation as an astronaut.
This was later confirmed by White House spokesperson Liz Huston, with Isaacman also sharing a post via X saying that he is grateful to the President for the supposed opportunity and support given to him.
Read Also:
Elon Musk’s Tesla Comeback? Automaker’s Stock Up by 20% After Ditching His Controversial DOGE Gig
I am incredibly grateful to President Trump @POTUS, the Senate and all those who supported me throughout this journey. 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…
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) June 1, 2025
Why Did President Trump Pull Out Jared Isaacman?
While Isaacman did not reveal the exact reason why he was pulled out from the NASA Administrator nomination, a New York Times report claimed that President Trump wanted him out because his donations were only shared with prominent Democrats like Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
That being said, there are still no statements from the White House or President Trump that explain the reason behind this decision against Isaacman.
Jared Isaacman’s Feats and Accomplishments
Isaacman is known as a fintech mogul who currently serves as the head of Shift4 Payments. He is likewise known for his stint as a pilot and an astronaut, and he was one of the few who were the first to join SpaceX’s all-civilian mission.
Inspiration4 launched in 2021 featuring Isaacman and three other crew members who did not have any prior experience of going to space and were not affiliated with any cosmic agency.
However, this was not the last of Isaacman’s venture into space as he was yet again part of the crew from Musk and SpaceX’s ambitious mission in 2024 called the Polaris Dawn and is yet again an all-civilian mission. Isaacman invested in this mission and led the crew to undergo the first commercial spacewalk in history aboard the Crew Dragon and Falcon 9, going to the farthest point civilians have reached in the cosmos.
Related Article:
Donald Trump Taps Space Billionaire Jared Isaacman to Lead NASA Amid Crypto, Space Revolution