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The Hill
a day ago
- Business
- The Hill
Trump grounds NASA nominee
The Big Story The White House withdrew its nomination of tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA over the weekend, stirring confusion among some Republicans and space industry figures. © AP Photo/John Raoux, File The White House offered few details on the reasoning for pulling Issacman's nomination for NASA administrator. 'It's essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon,' a White House spokesperson told The Hill. The Senate was slated to vote on his nomination in the coming days. He testified before the upper chamber in April as part of the confirmation process and advanced out of committee in a 19-9 vote. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, said the decision was made after a 'thorough review of prior associations.' The New York Times reported the decision was reached after Trump was told Isaacman donated to prominent Democrats in the past. But The Times later reported Trump and his team were briefed about the donations during the presidential transition late last year before his nomination. Isaacman worked alongside tech billionaire Elon Musk at SpaceX to fund the company's first private spacewalk, and he was one of four astronauts aboard the Polaris Dawn flight this fall. He is also the founder and CEO of Shift4, a payment processing company. Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy (Mont.) quickly expressed his disappointment over the decision. 'Astronaut and successful businessman @RookIsaacman was 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 wrote in an X post on Saturday. Conservative provocateur Laura Loomer reported over the weekend 'deep state operatives' were attempting to prevent Isaacman from serving at the helm of NASA. 'Let me remind you who Jared Isaacman is. Yes, he has been a liberal in the past like @elonmusk, but as it relates to MERIT and his knowledge of Space, his credentials are unmatched,' Loomer said in her Saturday X post. 'There is reason to believe that Isaacman may be facing retaliation because of his friendship with @elonmusk,' she added. The decision was announced shortly after Musk's exit from the White House last week. Read more in a report at Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Miranda Nazzaro and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Musk rips media over hypocrisy over Booker gesture Tech billionaire Elon Musk slammed the 'legacy media' over the weekend, alleging hypocrisy in how news outlets covered Sen. Cory Booker's (D-N.J.) recent arm gesture after he faced criticism for a similar gesture earlier this year. Booker, while speaking at the California Democratic Convention on Saturday, placed his hand on his heart before extending his arm toward the crowd. Videos of the moment quickly … Michael Cohen: Trump will 'go after Elon's money next' Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal attorney, predicts he will 'go after' tech billionaire Elon Musk's money now that the Tesla CEO's time as a special government employee has finished. 'I said from the very start that this bromance was going to come to an end,' Cohen said on MSNBC. 'I'm going to go one step even further, again, and I'm going to say Trump will ultimately go after Elon's money next because … Musk denies using drugs after NYT report: 'Lying their a‑‑ off' Tech billionaire Elon Musk denied he is taking drugs over the weekend, claiming The New York Times was 'lying their a‑‑ off' in a report about his alleged drug use on the campaign trail last year. 'To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their a‑‑ off,' Musk wrote Saturday in a post on the social platform X. 'I tried *prescription* ketamine a few years ago and said so on … Musk talks about Trump administration in CBS interview — despite asking to avoid the subject Elon Musk offered his opinion on the Trump administration in an interview shortly after he departed from his role at the White House, despite initially saying he only wanted to talk about 'spaceships' rather than 'presidential policy.' In an interview with 'CBS Sunday Morning,' the former Trump adviser told CBS correspondent David Pogue that he only wanted to talk about 'spaceships' … {{if !contains( Report')} {/if}}{{if !contains( Report')} {/if}} The Refresh News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Crypto Corner Mersinger takes reins at Blockchain Association © AP Welcome to Crypto Corner, a daily feature focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington. Summer Mersinger, a former commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), kicked off her tenure as CEO of the Blockchain Association on Monday. She offered a unifying message for the industry in a series of posts on X, underscoring the importance of standing together to secure crytpo-friendly policies in Washington. 'We're at a critical juncture for crypto policy in the U.S.,' she wrote. 'There's a growing crypto caucus in Congress, we have an executive branch that sees the inherent benefits of digital assets, and our regulatory agencies have turned the page from antagonism to collaboration.' 'But we need to capture this moment and push pro-crypto policy across the finish line,' Mersinger continued. She takes the place of Kristin Smith, the longtime leader of the major crypto trade group who stepped down last month. 'Today marks a new chapter for this community and for Blockchain Association,' she added. 'One built on shared purpose, collective energy, and a clear direction. I'm ready to get to work — together.' Mersinger is among several CFTC commissioners to announce her departure in recent weeks. All four current commissioners have left or plan to leave in the coming weeks and months, clearing out of the agency at a crucial moment when it's expected to take on new responsibilities regulating the crypto market. The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers are pushing to pass legislation by August that would divide up digital asset market regulation between the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). House lawmakers unveiled new bipartisan market structure legislation last week, known as the CLARITY Act, which they are set to consider at a hearing Wednesday. In Other News Branch out with other reads on The Hill: Musk says he doesn't want to 'take responsibility' for all Trump actions Tech billionaire Elon Musk, whose time as a special government employee came to an end on Friday, said in a Sunday interview that he doesn't want to 'take responsibility' for all actions of the Trump administration. In an interview on CBS News's 'Sunday Morning,' Musk said he disagrees with some moves President Trump has made, though he hesitated to discuss them in more detail, saying that doing so might create … What Others are Reading Two key stories on The Hill right now: Kavanaugh signals Supreme Court will soon decide constitutionality of banning AR-15s The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a case that involves whether possessing AR-15s is protected by the Second Amendment, but the court's … Read more 'Donors' vs 'takers': SALT battle stirs debate between blue and red states President Trump's domestic agenda bill is spurring a debate over whether blue states are subsidizing red states. After a successful pressure campaign … Read more What Others are Reading Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Just Kicked Elon Musk's Hand-Picked NASA Head to the Curb
NASA's top candidate for its still-open administrator position — a space tourist who was handpicked to run the agency by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — has been thrown under the bus by the Trump administration. As scooped by Semafor, the White House has pulled its nomination for billionaire fighter jet pilot-turned-SpaceX astronaut Jared Isaacman. While the exact reasoning behind the eyebrow-raising move remains unclear at best — a White House spokesperson said Isaacman wasn't in "full alignment with" the Trump agenda — the timing of the announcement comes as Musk's relationship with the Trump administration is visibly fraying. The mercurial CEO arrived at his own White House goodbye party last week with a black eye, which he blamed on his five-year-old son, bookending chaotic and destructive months in Washington, DC. Given recent reports, a major rift appears to have opened up between Musk and Trumpworld. In other words, it's easy to imagine that the Trump administration pulled Isaacman from consideration out of retribution, given the latter's extremely cozy relationship with Musk. During his confirmation hearing, the former NASA administrator hopeful had to repeatedly assure lawmakers he wasn't in the pocket of the richest man in the world, going as far as to diverge from Musk's plans to make sending humans to Mars a top priority. But it was hard to see much daylight between the two. The SpaceX CEO played a key role in Isaacman's nomination, catapulting him to the front of the line. As such, the pulling of his nomination could represent a major blow to SpaceX, which has relied heavily on NASA contracts to sustain itself since its early years. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has indicated that it's planning to catastrophically slash the space agency's science budget, an existential risk for major interplanetary missions, including NASA's next major space telescope and Mars Sample Return mission. Isaacman said he planned to lead missions to both the Moon and Mars simultaneously, despite extremely slimmed-down budgets, potentially handing SpaceX major contracts for trips to the Red Planet on board its still-under-development Starship rocket. But now that he's been kicked to the curb by the Trump administration, lawmakers are bound to ask some tough questions. The US Senate Commerce Committee approved his nomination in late April, voting 19 to nine, including unanimous support from Republicans, as Ars Technica reports. In spite of his close ties to Musk, Isaacman remains a popular figure in the space community, likely making his abrupt departure a tough pill to swallow for many influential figures. "NASA is f*cked," a current NASA leader to Ars. "NASA's budget request is just a going-out-of-business mode without Jared there to innovate," a separate NASA leader added. Chances are that Isaacman could make his return to his civilian space exploration program, Polaris Dawn, which was put "on hold" following his nomination. In September, he became the first private astronaut to go on a spacewalk outside of a SpaceX spacecraft. Now that he's become the victim of the murky machinations of an administration that has long been known to throw anybody who fails Trump's loyalty test to the wolves, chances are he may soon be headed off-planet once again to leave all of that drama behind. More on Isaacman: Incoming NASA Administrator Throws Elon Musk's Mars Plans Under the Bus
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk ally loses Trump's backing for Nasa top job
Donald Trump has dropped a SpaceX astronaut as his candidate to lead Nasa just hours after Elon Musk left the White House. Jared Isaacman, a technology entrepreneur who has flown on two missions for Mr Musk's rocket business, had been tipped to lead Nasa under Mr Trump. However, the president said on Sunday he had withdrawn his nomination 'after a thorough review of prior associations'. Some Republicans had raised questions about Mr Isaacman's past political donations. The entrepreneur had previously donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democrat politicians, although he also gave $2m (£1.5m) to Mr Trump's inauguration fund last year. Mr Trump said on Truth Social: 'After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA. I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' The decision comes hours after Mr Musk officially left his role in the Trump administration. At an Oval Office press conference on Friday, Mr Trump praised him as 'one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced'. However, Mr Musk's exit follows signs of growing tension between the pair. Mr Musk has publicly derided several of Mr Trump's policies, labelling his planned tax and spending bill 'disappointing', while Tesla, his electric car business, has criticised White House plans to strip subsidies from clean energy products. Mr Isaacman's nomination had been welcomed by the space industry, who viewed him as an experienced businessman with first-hand experience of space travel. The 41-year-old became both the first billionaire and first private citizen to walk in space last year when he led SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission. He founded Shift4 Payments in 1999, aged just 16. The business is now worth $8bn. As head of Nasa, he would have been in charge of preparing for a space mission to take humans back to the Moon in 2027 using Mr Musk's Starship rocket. Mr Musk said on Sunday: 'It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.' In a post on X, Mr Isaacman said: 'The President, Nasa and the American people deserve the very best – an administrator ready to reorganise, rebuild and rally the best and brightest minds to deliver the world-changing headlines Nasa was built to create.' A White House spokesman said: 'The administrator of Nasa will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump's bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars. It's essential that the next leader of Nasa is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Trump withdraws nomination of Musk ally Isaacman as NASA head
dpa Washington US President Donald Trump has withdrawn his nomination of billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman as NASA head 'after a thorough review of prior associations.' On taking office in January, Trump proposed Isaacman, a close associate of SpaceX boss Elon Musk, to succeed Bill Nelson at the helm of the space agency, who left at the end of the presidency of Joe Biden. According to US media reports, Isaacman was to have been approved by the Senate shortly. But on Saturday evening, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he would soon announce a new nominee 'who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space,' without elaborating further. In an indication of growing distance from Trump, Musk responded on his own social media platform X: 'This sucks. I can't think of a better person for the job than Jared.' Trump's decision took observers by surprise, as he had praised Isaacman highly in December before taking office, saying he would 'drive NASA's mission of discovery and inspiration.' Responding to Trump's decision, Isaacman posted on X that he was grateful for the opportunity and said he would be cheering the president and NASA on. 'I have not flown my last mission - whatever form that may ultimately take,' he said. Isaacman has participated in two private space missions. In 2021, he was one of the first non-professional crew in space, joining three others on a three-day trip around Earth. In September last year, he was part of the Polaris Dawn mission alongside three other space tourists, undertaking a space walk. In both missions he collaborated with Musk's SpaceX. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the New York Times reported that Trump had told associates he intended to 'yank' Isaacman's nomination after being told that Isaacman had donated to prominent Democrats. The decision was the latest example of how Trump 'uses loyalty as a key criterion for top administration roles,' the daily wrote.
Engadget
2 days ago
- Business
- Engadget
Trump makes a last-minute backtrack on his pick to lead NASA
NASA's next mission will be to find a new agency leader, following a dramatic reversal from President Donald Trump. In a post made on Truth Social, the president withdrew his nomination of Jared Isaacman as the head of NASA. As first reported by Semafor , the pullback comes just a few days before Isaacman was due in front of the US Senate for a confirmation vote. Trump detailed in the post that he will soon announce another nominee who is more aligned with the president's mission and will "put America First in Space." Liz Huston, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement that it was "essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda." According to The New York Times, unnamed sources attribute the withdrawal to Isaacman's previous donations to "prominent Democrats." Besides his role as CEO of payment processing company Shift4, Isaacman has been venturing into the world of commercial space travel. The billionaire businessman has been to space twice now, even serving as the mission commander of the Polaris Dawn mission that was operated by SpaceX and saw the first commercial spacewalk. Isaacman was known as a close ally of Elon Musk, who is the CEO of SpaceX and recently left his White House role as an adviser to the president.
