President Trump announced Tuesday evening that he is renominating private astronaut Jared Isaacman to lead NASA.
“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,” Trump wrote on his social media network, Truth Social.
In his statement, Trump did not offer an explanation for why he found Isaacman acceptable now after pulling his original nomination in late May.
That decision was made for political reasons, ostensibly because Isaacman had made some donations to Democrats in the past. In reality, the leader of the White House Office of Personnel Management at the time, Sergio Gor, took advantage of Elon Musk’s departure from Washington, DC, to derail Isaacman, who has twice flown on SpaceX’s rockets into orbit.
Walking away graciously
Isaacman exited the field at the time, thanking Trump for the honor of the nomination. In July, Trump named his secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, to lead the space agency on an interim basis. Trump expected Duffy to interview candidates and pick a full-time candidate.
In the ensuing months, however, Duffy settled into the NASA job, which comes with many opportunities for press appearances. He frequently gave interviews to Fox News and other television outlets about the space program, enjoying positive publicity.
At the same time, Trump whisperers, such as former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, continued to press Isaacman’s case. They liked his mix of business background and spaceflight experience, as well as his desire to push NASA into the modern era of commercial space.
Over the last several weeks, it has become clear that Trump was reconsidering his decision, especially after Gor was confirmed as ambassador to India and left Washington, DC. Isaacman has had dinner with Trump multiple times, and the two have struck up a relationship.
