Trump again taps tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA after previously pulling nomination

By Alejandra Jaramillo, Kristen Holmes, Jackie Wattles, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump is nominating tech billionaire Jared Isaacman for a second time to serve as administrator of NASA, he announced on social media Tuesday.

Isaacman, an Elon Musk associate who has twice traveled to space on private SpaceX missions, was previously tapped for the position before Trump unexpectedly withdrew his nomination earlier this year, citing a “thorough review of prior associations.”

“This evening, I am pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of NASA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. “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.”

CNN previously reported that Trump and Isaacman reopened lines of communication over the summer and it soon became clear to officials that Isaacman was not only back in the mix to lead NASA, but a frontrunner.

Shortly after the president’s post, Isaacman thanked Trump and pledged to uphold the agency’s mission to “inspire the world once again.”’

“To the innovators building the orbital economy, to the scientists pursuing breakthrough discoveries and to dreamers across the world eager for a return to the Moon and the grand journey beyond–these are the most exciting times since the dawn of the space age– and I truly believe the future we have all been waiting for will soon become reality,” he said in a post on X.

Tuesday’s announcement came as some Trump officials have in recent weeks expressed frustration with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has been serving as NASA’s acting administrator, with internal wrangling over who will lead the agency spilling into public view, two sources familiar with the matter previously told CNN.

Duffy had said privately that he would like to hold the space chief title permanently and fold NASA into the Department of Transportation, one source said.

A spokesperson for the secretary told CNN he said that “NASA might benefit from being part of the Cabinet, maybe even within the Department of Transportation,” but denied Duffy said he wanted to keep the NASA administrator job.

Duffy on Tuesday congratulated Isaacman on his nomination and praised the work the agency has done under his interim leadership.

“We’ve made giant leaps in our mission to return to the Moon before China. It’s critical for our national security and national pride that we win the next space race,” he said on X. “Congratulations to @rookisaacman . I wish him all the success and will ensure the transition is seamless.”

The abrupt withdrawal of Isaacman earlier this year left a bad taste in the mouths of many within the White House, with some pointing fingers at a top Trump aide for convincing the president that Isaacman’s past Democratic donations disqualified him.

That frustration only grew when the decision was announced as Trump and Musk kicked off a messy, monthslong feud.

As CNN previously reported, Sergio Gor, a longtime Trump ally, moved to oust Isaacman after Musk left his brief, unofficial role in Washington several months ago, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Isaacman’s departure, which came when he was presumably days away from being confirmed for the NASA job by the Senate, was an act of retribution against Musk who had “rubbed a couple people wrong,” the source told CNN.

NASA’s looming moon race

Isaacman’s reinstatement comes as NASA is headed for a crucial few years. The space agency is racing to return astronauts to the moon amid a geopolitical standoff with China, which aims to send its taikonauts there by 2030.

NASA’s moon landing plan, called Artemis, is currently at an inflection point. Recently, Duffy suggested he and the space agency may sideline SpaceX from its roster of private-sector partners for the lunar touchdown mission, called Artemis III.

Duffy’s team said it intended to send a “Request for Information,” or RFI, to the space industry when the government shutdown concludes. The request would ask companies to detail how they may rapidly produce a lunar lander vehicle and get NASA astronauts to the moon quicker than SpaceX.

It’s unclear if NASA will move forward with the RFI. Isaacman is viewed as a close ally of Musk and SpaceX, though he has emphasized that he intends to foster competition across the commercial space industry as head of NASA.

Isaacman would also take on the top job as NASA’s workforce is showing signs of discontent amid job cuts and looming budget reductions — including a proposed 47% cut to the agency’s science budget mapped out in Trump’s budget request earlier this year.

Isaacman has called those proposed cuts suboptimal.

During an April confirmation hearing, Isaacman faced wide-ranging questions about how NASA’s priorities might change under his leadership and signaled an interest in Mars — the longtime focus of Musk and SpaceX.

Isaacman faced questioning from national security hawks who raised concerns that relinquishing NASA’s focus on the moon could cede ground to China. In response, Isaacman had struck a conciliatory tone, saying, “We don’t have to make a binary decision of Moon versus Mars.”

After the confirmation hearing, Isaacman’s remarks were met with praise throughout the space industry — as well as skepticism about how NASA would pay for such bold ambitions as the Trump administration seeks to tighten federal spending.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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