Trump drops Nasa nominee Jared Isaacman, scrapping Elon Musk's pick
The White House has withdrawn Jared Isaacman as its nominee for Nasa administrator, abruptly yanking a close ally of Elon Musk from consideration to lead the space agency.
Donald Trump said he would announce a new candidate soon. 'After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head Nasa,' the US president posted online. 'I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be mission aligned, and put America first in space.'
Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut who had been Musk's pick to lead Nasa, was due next week for a much-delayed confirmation vote before the US Senate. His removal from consideration caught many in the space industry by surprise.
Trump and the White House did not explain what led to the decision.
Isaacman, whose removal was earlier reported by Semafor, said he was 'incredibly grateful' to Trump 'and all those who supported me throughout this journey'.
'I have gained a much deeper appreciation for the complexities of government and the weight our political leaders carry,' he posted. 'It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission.'
Isaacman's removal comes just days after Musk's official departure from the White House, where the SpaceX CEO's role as a 'special government employee' leading the so-called department of government efficiency (Doge) created turbulence for the administration and frustrated some of Trump's aides.
Musk, according to a person familiar with his reaction, was disappointed by Isaacman's removal.
'It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted,' Musk wrote of Isaacman on X, responding to the news of the White House's decision.
Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It was unclear whom the administration might tap to replace Isaacman.
One name being floated is the retired US air force Lt Gen Steven Kwast, an early advocate for the creation of the US space force and a Trump supporter, according to three people familiar with the discussions.
Isaacman, the former CEO of the payment processor company Shift4, had broad space industry support but drew concerns from lawmakers over his ties to Musk and SpaceX, where he spent hundreds of millions of dollars as an early private spaceflight customer.
The former nominee had donated to Democrats in prior elections. In his confirmation hearing in April, he sought to balance Nasa's existing moon-aligned space exploration strategy with pressure to shift the agency's focus on Mars, saying the US can plan for travel to both destinations.
As a potential leader of Nasa's 18,000 employees, Isaacman faced a daunting task of implementing that decision to prioritize Mars, given that Nasa has spent years and billions of dollars trying to return its astronauts to the moon.
On Friday, the space agency released new details of the Trump administration's 2026 budget plan that proposed killing dozens of space science programs and laying off thousands of employees, a controversial overhaul that space advocates and lawmakers described as devastating for the agency.
The Montana Republican Tim Sheehy, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee, posted that Isaacman had been 'a strong choice by President Trump to lead Nasa'.
'I was proud to introduce Jared at his hearing and strongly oppose efforts to derail his nomination,' Sheehy said.
Some scientists saw the nominee change as further destabilizing to Nasa as it faces dramatic budget cuts without a confirmed leader in place to navigate political turbulence between Congress, the White House and the space agency's workforce.
'So not having [Isaacman] as boss of Nasa is bad news for the agency,' Harvard-Smithsonian astronomer Jonathan McDowell posted.
'Maybe a good thing for Jared himself though, since being Nasa head right now is a bit of a Kobayashi Maru scenario,' McDowell added, referring to an exercise in the science fiction franchise Star Trek where cadets are placed in a no-win scenario.
With Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
11 minutes ago
- Sky News
Trade war: UK exemption from 50% steel tariffs is conditional, Trump warns
The UK's exemption from a doubling of duties on most US steel and aluminium imports is dependent on the ratification of May's trade pact between the two countries, the White House has warned. Tariffs of 50% were imposed on all shipments from early on Wednesday morning, except those arriving from UK shores which will still be subject to a 25% rate. Donald Trump decided to "provide different treatment" to the UK as he doubled down on the rates that had been in place since March as part of his early trade war salvoes which are designed to encourage more domestic production. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said of the move: "We started at 25 and then after studying the data more, realised that it was a big help, but more help is needed and so that is why the 50 is starting." The decision to spare UK products from the hike currently amounts to a reprieve of just over a month, however, as the clock ticks down to a US deadline of 9 July when wider tariff pauses for US trading partners could be applied. President Trump's executive order said of the UK situation: "On or after July 9, 2025, the Secretary may adjust the applicable rates of duty and construct import quotas for steel and aluminium consistent with the terms of the EPD [economic prosperity deal], or he may increase the applicable rates of duty to 50 percent if he determines that the United Kingdom has not complied with relevant aspects of the EPD". 2:45 Even if the trade pact agreed with the UK was to be fully enacted by that time, quotas within that agreement could still technically mean that a higher rate will apply in future. The government of Sir Keir Starmer has said it is continuing to work with US officials to agree the terms. A spokesperson said: "The UK was the first country to secure a trade deal with the US earlier this month and we remain committed to protecting British business and jobs across key sectors, including steel as part of our Plan for Change. "We're pleased that as a result of our agreement with the US, UK steel will not be subject to these additional tariffs. We will continue to work with the US to implement our agreement, which will see the 25% US tariffs on steel removed." The UK steel industry was cautious in its own response, while welcoming the reprieve. 2:42 Gareth Stace, the director general of UK Steel, said: "Continued 25% tariffs will benefit shipments already on the water that we were concerned would fall under a tax hike. "However, uncertainty remains over timings and final tariff rates, and now US customers will be dubious over whether they should even risk making UK orders. "The US and UK must urgently turn the May deal into reality to remove the tariffs completely."
ITV News
13 minutes ago
- ITV News
'Different treatment': Donald Trump to keep tariffs at 25% on British steel and aluminium for now
President Donald Trump has decided to keep tariffs at 25% on British steel and aluminium for now, as he doubles tariffs on imports from elsewhere to 50%. The decision to 'provide different treatment' to the UK comes after a deal that was struck between Washington and London last month. Levies will remain at 25% for imports of steel from the UK into America, however Britain could still be subject to the higher 50% rate from July, or the quotas in the agreement could come into force, effectively eradicating the tax. The 50% tariff rate for imports of steel and aluminium from other nations came into force at 12.01am Washington DC time on Wednesday, shortly after 5am in the UK. The Government said on Tuesday night they were 'pleased' that the industry 'will not be subject to these additional tariffs'. Gareth Stace, the director general of UK Steel, said that Mr Trump's decision is a 'welcome pause'. He added: 'Continued 25% tariffs will benefit shipments already on the water that we were concerned would fall under a tax hike. 'However, uncertainty remains over timings and final tariff rates, and now US customers will be dubious over whether they should even risk making UK orders. 'The US and UK must urgently turn the May deal into reality to remove the tariffs completely.' How did we get here? Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's trade deal with the US, struck last month, included relief on the steel and aluminium tariffs, but it has not yet come into force. Officials have been working to try and finalise the details of the agreement. The Government has pledged to keep working with the US to get the agreement up and running, and the 25% tariff rate 'removed'. A spokesperson said: 'The UK was the first country to secure a trade deal with the US earlier this month and we remain committed to protecting British business and jobs across key sectors, including steel as part of our Plan for Change. 'We're pleased that as a result of our agreement with the US, UK steel will not be subject to these additional tariffs. We will continue to work with the US to implement our agreement, which will see the 25% US tariffs on steel removed.' Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds met White House trade representative Jamieson Greer in Paris on Tuesday. According to the Department for Business and Trade, Mr Reynolds and Mr Greer discussed a desire to implement the deal struck between London and Washington as soon as possible, and committed to working closely to make it happen. The general terms for the agreement between the UK and US were published in May when the deal was announced, and outline the intended plans.
Times
15 minutes ago
- Times
Starmer handed five-week reprieve from Trump's steel tariffs
President Trump exempted British steel and aluminium exports from new 50 per cent tariffs while giving ministers five weeks to finalise details of a trade deal with the United States. In an executive order, Trump said UK exporters would be spared from the doubling of tariffs that are due to come into effect on Wednesday, but appeared to set a new deadline of next month for the deal to be finalised. The order stated that if the UK had not complied with 'relevant aspects' of the Economic Prosperity Deal signed last month, then the US 'may increase the applicable rates of duty to 50 per cent … on or after July 9'. Trump said: 'I have further determined that it is necessary and appropriate to allow for the implementation of the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal of May 8, 2025, and to accordingly provide different treatment for imports of steel and aluminium articles, and their derivatives, from the United Kingdom.' Trump's move came after steel manufacturers warned ministers that 'highly damaging' delays to implementing the trade deal were already costing them millions of pounds in lost business. Trade from the US has dried up, they said, as American importers put orders on hold in the hope of escaping current tariff levels of 25 per cent, which is still being applied to UK exports. Senior government figures have blamed the US side for delays in getting the deal over the line, saying that negotiations on the technical aspects of the steel and aluminium quotas have been 'complicated'. Almost a month since Starmer and Trump agreed in principle to spare Britain's steel, car and aluminium industries from US tariffs, officials say they are still some way from completing the deal. The government said ministers were 'pleased that as a result of our agreement with the US, UK steel will not be subject to these additional tariffs'. It added: 'We will continue to work with the US to implement our agreement, which will see the 25 per cent US tariffs on steel removed.' However, the Conservatives have accused ministers of 'misleading the public' over the deal. Andrew Griffith, the shadow business secretary, said: 'Labour told the British public we had a deal with the US, but one month on, there is no deal in sight, meaning British businesses and workers continue to suffer because of Labour's failed negotiations. 'After snatching the winter fuel payment, lying about not increasing taxes, and misleading the public by saying the US trade deal was done, the public will rightly not trust a word Labour says.' Trump's move came after Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, held talks with his US counterpart, Jamieson Greer, to discuss the difficulties in finalising the agreement. However, officials admitted it could take a number of weeks to get the agreement over the line. Speaking after the meeting, a government spokesman said both sides agreed that they wanted to implement agreements 'on sectoral tariffs as soon as possible'. 'The pair agreed that businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic must start to feel the benefits of the deal soon, with both sides committing to work closely to make that happen,' the official said. Under the much-vaunted trade agreement announced last month, Britain could continue to export steel, aluminium and cars to the US free of tariffs, in return for dropping tariffs on American beef and ethanol exports. However, exact quotas for different types of steel and aluminium products were not specified. There were also unanswered questions over whether steel products only partially made in the UK would be covered by the deal. Speaking to MPs before the announcement, Russell Codling, a director at Tata Steel, said the firm currently supplied about £150 million worth of steel to the US that was now being hit by tariffs. 'The 25 per cent tariff was a big shock to us and the 50 per cent tariff is really quite devastating,' he said. 'Where do we go next? What is the future for our business?' Codling added that his message to the government was to 'act as quickly as possible' to get the deal over the line. Andy Richardson, the managing director of Special Melted Products, said that his firm had suffered a 'complete cessation of orders' since tariffs came into effect. 'We are losing business rapidly,' he said. 'Even if the trade deal was fully clarified tonight, I have significant concerns for the job security of people who work in my plant and other metal producers around the UK. It needs to happen really, really quickly.' Chrysa Glystra, director of trade and economic policy at UK Steel, said: 'The delay in implementing the deal is highly damaging to UK industry.' UK Steel welcomed Trump's decision to keep tariffs at 25 per cent on imports of British steel and aluminium for now, describing it as 'a welcome pause', but said that 'uncertainty remains' over the final rate. Gareth Stace, its director general, said that Reynolds had acted swiftly, recognising that steel trade stability and security between the two nations is 'of utmost importance'. Stace said: 'Continued 25 per cent tariffs will benefit shipments already on the water that we were concerned would fall under a tax hike. However, uncertainty remains over timings and final tariff rates, and now US customers will be dubious over whether they should even risk making UK orders. 'The US and UK must urgently turn the May deal into reality to remove the tariffs completely. 'At an already crushing time for our steel industry, with global oversupply and weak demand, we must continue to work together to support sales levels in our second most important export market. 'It is also time for the UK government to take decisive action domestically on trade defence. There is plain evidence of trade diversion switching gears into the UK after the EU stepped up its trade defences, and now we must do the same. 'Imports are flooding into the UK market, depressing steel prices and taking away market share. We must not lose sight of our domestic market while battling to stabilise exports to the US.' Trump confirmed the rise in import duties for the rest of the world, arguing the 50 per cent tariffs would stop 'foreign countries that continue to offload low-priced, excess steel and aluminium in the United States market'.
