Jared Isaacman, President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), testifies during the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation confirmation hearing held at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on April 9, 2025.
Ken Cedeno | Reuters
President Donald Trump reappointed Jared Isaacman to the NASA board after rescinding his previous nomination months earlier, citing a “thorough review of our existing relationship.”
“Jared’s passion for space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unraveling the mysteries of space, and driving a new space economy make him the ideal person to lead NASA into a bold new era,” President Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday.
Isaacman and friends tesla CEO Elon Musk was originally chosen to lead NASA in December, before President Trump took office. Isaacman is a billionaire who founded payments company Shift4 and led two private space flights.
But Trump withdrew his nomination in late May after a spat between the president and Musk, who was leading a White House effort to reduce the size of the federal government. Trump said at the time that he was withdrawing his nomination because of Isaacman’s past relationship, but did not specify what it was. Some reports have suggested this is a reference to Isaacman’s past donations to the Democratic Party.
“My short stint in politics has been a thrilling experience,” Isaacman said in a letter to Shift4 investors a few days after his exit. He also said he would step down as CEO of Shift4, which he founded at the age of 16 in 1999, and take on the role of executive chairman. He had planned to leave the company if his nomination was approved by the Senate. But it never got that far.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been running NASA as interim administrator since July.
Isaacman still has to go through the Senate confirmation process. The federal government has been closed since early October, but the Senate can still approve presidential nominees.
Attention: President Trump reappoints Jared Isaacman as NASA director
