Trump taps Transportation secretary to serve as interim NASA chief
Duffy will take the helm as the administration searches for a permanent leader after the ouster of nominee Jared Isaacman — an ally of Elon Musk.
Isaacman, a commercial astronaut and the billionaire CEO of the payment processing company Shift4, has done business with Musk's SpaceX. Isaacman's nomination had been set for a Senate floor vote, but Trump in late May yanked it just days beforehand. This was around the time Musk had fallen out of favor, with Trump, ultimately leaving the federal government.
At the time, Trump vowed to nominate someone else 'who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.'
Duffy will face numerous challenges in running NASA. The agency is meant to land astronauts on the moon by mid-2027 and has been charged with accelerating plans to get humans to Mars. At the same time, under a proposed White House budget, the agency would have the lowest funding and staffing levels since the early 1960s.
Duffy will take over from acting NASA chief Janet Petro.
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Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani speaks to the press following talks of the "Weimar+" group focused on Ukraine and the future of European security at Lancaster House on May 12, 2025 in London,... Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani speaks to the press following talks of the "Weimar+" group focused on Ukraine and the future of European security at Lancaster House on May 12, 2025 in London, England. More Adrian Dennis/Italy's foreign minister said that the best path forward for both the U.S. and EU is zero tariffs and "an open market between Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe." He added that, in addition to the $24.5 billion duties prepared in response to the tariff threats, a second package of countermeasures "could be added." However, in the letter sent to the EU, shared on Truth Social, Trump warned: "If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs and retaliate, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by will be added onto the 30% that we charge." To insulate the bloc's economies from Trump's tariffs, should these take effect, Tajani also called for the European Central Bank to pursue a quantitative easing, bond-buying program like the one undertaken during the COVID pandemic, though he acknowledged many European leaders are currently against this proposal. What People Are Saying Antonio Tajani, Italian Foreign Minister, told Il Messaggero on July 14, 2025: "A list of European duties worth 21 billion euros is ready, to which a second could be added. I am confident that there will be progress." "The tariffs hurt everyone, starting with the United States," he added. "If the stock markets go down, Americans' pensions and savings are at risk. I repeat: our goal, in perspective, is zero duties. An open market between Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe." Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, in a statement released Saturday, said: "Imposing 30 percent tariffs on EU exports would disrupt essential trans-Atlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic." French President Emmanuel Macron, via X, said: "[Trump's] announcement comes after weeks of intense engagement by the Commission in negotiations with the United States, on the basis of a solid offer made in good faith. "With European unity, it is more than ever up to the Commission to assert the Union's determination to resolutely defend European interests. In particular, this implies speeding up the preparation of credible countermeasures, by mobilizing all the instruments at its disposal, including anti-coercion, if no agreement is reached by August 1st." Macron added that negotiations will now "intensify," to secure "a mutually acceptable agreement by August 1st." What Happens Next? The pause placed on countermeasures by the E.U, and only two weeks until Trump's latest duties come into effect, both sides have a narrow window to negotiate a compromise and avoid a major escalation in the trade war. Tajani told Il Messaggero that, rather than a fully fledged trade deal, the two sides could feasibly secure an in-principle agreement which would delay tariffs and countermeasures, and provide more time for the remaining details to be finalized. The EU's trade ministers are set to meet in Brussels on Monday to formulate a cohesive response to the tariffs, the BBC reports.
