Latest news with #JaredIsaacman
United News of India
6 hours ago
- Business
- United News of India
Trump to announce new nominee to lead NASA
Washington, June 1 (UNI) U.S. President Donald Trump will soon announce a new nominee for the head of NASA, following his decision to withdraw former candidate Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk, an official said. "After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. "I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space." Late last year, Trump named Isaacman, a billionaire and private astronaut, as the nominee for NASA chief. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved his nomination in late April. Isaacman, a close associate of Musk and a major client of his company SpaceX, has purchased several private spaceflights from the company with hundreds of millions of dollars. UNI XC GNK
CTV News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump says he's withdrawing the nomination of Musk associate Jared Isaacman to lead NASA
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a 'thorough review' of Isaacman's 'prior associations.' It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation. 'After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,' Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. 'I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.' In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were 'enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling.' '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,' he said. 'That was on full display during my hearing, where leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they're willing to fight for the world's most accomplished space agency.' Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency's next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his first chartered flight on Musk's SpaceX company in 2021. He is the CEO and founder of Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of spaceflights from SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman's nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon. Musk appeared to lament Trump's decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, 'It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.' SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge. Semafor was first to report that the White House had decided to pull Isaacman's nomination. Darlene Superville and Seung Min Kim, The Associated Press
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Musk praises 'competent and good-hearted' ally Jared Isaacman after Trump drops him as nominee to head NASA
President Donald Trump withdrew Jared Isaacman as his nominee to head NASA on Saturday. Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut, is a close ally of Elon Musk. Replying to the news on X, Musk wrote: "It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted." Elon Musk has praised his close ally Jared Isaacman after President Donald Trump dropped him as his nominee for NASA administrator on Saturday. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was withdrawing Isaacman's nomination after a "thorough review of prior associations" and that he would soon announced a new, "mission aligned" nominee. News of Trump's decision broke earlier in the day, and Musk was swift to respond. "It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted," he wrote of Isaacman in a post on X. Isaacman, the founder of payments company Shift4, was part of the SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew in 2024 and led the first private space walk. In a social media statement Saturday, Isaacman said he was "incredibly grateful to President 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 continued, adding: "I have not flown my last mission." Trump had nominated Isaacman in December, calling him an "accomplished business leader" and saying he was "ideally suited to lead NASA" forward. Isaacman's subsequent removal as nominee comes days after Musk said he was stepping back from his role as a "special government employee" in the Trump administration, ending his time with the White House DOGE office. Trump's move appears to have come as a shock to supporters of Isaacman, with some experts questioning what it means for NASA. Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said missing out on Isaacman was "bad news for the agency." "So not having @rookisaacman as boss of NASA is bad news for the agency. Maybe a good thing for Jared himself though, since being NASA head right now is a bit of a Kobayashi Maru scenario," he wrote on X. Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy also took to X to air his support for Isaacman, saying he was a "strong choice" to head NASA and that he "strongly" opposed any efforts to "derail his nomination." Read the original article on Business Insider
New York Times
16 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Trump Administration Live Updates: Trump to Withdraw Elon Musk's Ally as Nominee for Top NASA Job
Mr. Trump told associates he intended to pull the nomination of Jared Isaacman after learning from allies of his donations to prominent Democrats. President Trump on Saturday said that he planned to withdraw his nomination of Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and close associate of Elon Musk's, to be the next NASA administrator, days before Mr. Isaacman's expected confirmation to the role by the Senate. Mr. Trump in recent days told associates he intended to yank Mr. Isaacman's nomination after being told that he had donated to prominent Democrats, according to three people with knowledge of the deliberations who were not authorized to discuss them publicly. Mr. Trump said on social media on Saturday that he had conducted a 'thorough review of prior associations' before deciding to withdraw the nomination. Mr. Trump added that he would 'soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.' The U-turn was the latest example of how Mr. Trump uses loyalty as a key criterion for top administration roles, and came at a fraught moment for the space agency. NASA has so far been spared the deep cuts that have hit the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and other federal research agencies. But the Trump administration's budget proposal for 2026 seeks to slice the space agency's budget by one-quarter, lay off thousands of employees and end financing for a slew of current and future missions. The Trump administration also wants to overhaul NASA's human spaceflight program, ending the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule initiatives after the Artemis III mission that is to land astronauts on the moon in 2027 and adding money to send astronauts to Mars in the coming years, something that had been a priority for Mr. Musk. People inside and outside NASA had hoped that Mr. Isaacman's arrival as administrator would help provide stability and a clearer direction for the agency, which has been operating under an acting administrator since the beginning of Mr. Trump's term. Image The Trump administration wants to overhaul NASA's human spaceflight program. Credit... Steve Nesius/Reuters Mr. Isaacman, who declined to comment when reached by phone on Saturday, was informed of the decision on Friday, which was also Mr. Musk's last day in the White House as a special government employee. Even if Mr. Trump announces a new choice relatively soon, the agency will now face several more months before a top leader is in place. 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. It would be an extraordinary move to withdraw the nomination, given that Mr. Isaacman had already been approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee with a 19-to-9 vote. He was scheduled to be confirmed by the full Senate next week. It will also be a test case for how much of Mr. Musk's influence remains in a White House where he is no longer physically working as an adviser. Mr. Trump told Mr. Musk on Friday that he intended to pull back Mr. Isaacman's nomination, according to a person with knowledge of their conversation. Mr. Isaacman is the chief executive of the payment processing company Shift4 Payments, and Mr. Trump lauded him when he announced his selection in December. 'Jared will drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration, paving the way for groundbreaking achievements in Space science, technology, and exploration,' Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social at the time. Mr. Musk lobbied for Mr. Isaacman's selection directly with Mr. Trump, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions. Mr. Trump is said to have deferred to Mr. Musk on the choice, contending that he was knowledgeable about space because of his success with SpaceX, the person said. No major speed bumps came up during Mr. Isaacman's nomination hearing in April before the commerce committee. Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who leads the committee, pushed Mr. Isaacman to acknowledge the goals Congress had set out for NASA, in particular the Artemis program to send astronauts back to the moon in the coming years. Senator Edward Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, noted the close ties between Mr. Isaacman and his companies and Mr. Musk. He asked several times whether Mr. Musk had been present at Mar-a-Lago in Florida when Mr. Trump offered Mr. Isaacman the NASA position. Mr. Isaacman did not directly reply. He would only say, repeatedly, that his interview had been with Mr. Trump. Mr. Cruz and the other Republicans on the committee voted to advance the nomination, as did four Democrats, including Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, the top Democrat on the panel. On Saturday, allies of Mr. Musk's began publicly defending Mr. Isaacman, trying to change the president's mind about withdrawing the nomination. His defenders included Laura Loomer, the far-right activist who has often been critical of other Trump nominees with histories of supporting Democrats. She posted a lengthy message on X casting Mr. Isaacman's impending removal as a 'deep state' plot to undermine the president. Some Republican lawmakers also rallied to Mr. Isaacman's defense on Saturday. Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana, an ally of Mr. Trump's who serves on the committee that approved Mr. Isaacman's nomination, posted on X that 'astronaut and successful businessman @RookIsaacman was a strong choice by President Trump to lead NASA.' 'I was proud to introduce Jared at his hearing,' Mr. Sheehy added, 'and strongly oppose efforts to derail his nomination.'
Ammon
18 hours ago
- Business
- Ammon
Trump pulls Musk ally's NASA nomination, will announce replacement
Ammon News - The White House withdrew on Saturday its nominee for NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, abruptly yanking a close ally of Elon Musk from consideration to lead the space agency. President 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," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. "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 U.S. 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. "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 said in a post on X. His removal comes days after Musk's official departure from the White House, where the SpaceX CEO's role as a "special government employee" leading the Department of Government Efficiency created turbulence for the administration and frustrated some of Trump's aides. Reuters
