White House renominates Isaacman to be NASA administrator

WASHINGTON — The White House said Nov. 4 it is renominating Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator, the latest twist in an unprecedented saga over the agency’s leadership.

In a statement posted to Truth Social, President Donald Trump said he was renominating Isaacman to lead NASA, a little more than five months after abruptly withdrawing the original nomination.

“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.

The statement did not explain why Trump decided to renominate him. The description of Isaacman was identical to what Trump wrote in December 2024 when he first announced his intent to nominate the billionaire businessman and private astronaut.

“Thank you, Mr. President @POTUS, for this opportunity. It will be an honor to serve my country under your leadership. I am also very grateful to @SecDuffy, who skillfully oversees @NASA alongside his many other responsibilities,” Isaacman wrote in a social media post after the renomination announcement.

Isaacman’s original nomination cleared a Senate committee in late April and was days away from a full Senate vote when Trump announced its withdrawal May 31. That move was widely linked to a falling-out between Trump and Elon Musk, the SpaceX founder who had advocated for Isaacman.

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,” Trump said at the time, referring to donations Isaacman had made to both Democratic and Republican political candidates. Those donations were widely known for months before Trump’s decision to withdraw the nomination.

Trump also said then that he would “soon” nominate a replacement to lead NASA, but the administration never did so and showed little sign of actively searching for one.

In July, the White House named Sean Duffy, secretary of transportation, as acting administrator, replacing Janet Petro, director of the Kennedy Space Center, who had served in the acting role since January. It marked the first time a Cabinet secretary had led NASA in an acting capacity.

Isaacman remained supportive of the administration after his nomination was withdrawn, attributing the decision to revoke it to individuals in the White House “that had some axes to grind” regarding Musk.

By October, rumors surfaced that the White House was considering renominating Isaacman, who had met with Trump in the interim. Industry sources also reported some White House frustration with Duffy, who had shown interest in remaining acting administrator long-term.

In his Nov. 4 post announcing the renomination, Trump thanked Duffy for his service. “Sean Duffy has done an incredible job as interim administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration,” he wrote. Trump did not indicate whether Duffy would continue in that role while the Senate considers Isaacman’s nomination, a process that could take months.

“Thank you @realDonaldTrump for the honor to lead @NASA. We’ve made giant leaps in our mission to return to the Moon before China. It’s critical for our national security and national pride that we win the next space race,” Duffy posted after the announcement. “Congratulations to @rookisaacman. I wish him all the success and will ensure the transition is seamless.”

The announcement triggered a wave of congratulatory comments from individuals, including many space company executives. Also weighing in was the Commercial Space Federation, which distributed a letter it sent to the leadership of the Senate Commerce Committee, which will consider the nomination.

“With decades of experience as an entrepreneur, business leader, and commercial space pioneer, Mr. Isaacman is ideally suited to lead NASA at this critical time in the agency’s history,” the organization stated in the letter.

“The support from the space-loving community has been overwhelming,” Isaacman wrote after being renominated. “I am not sure how I earned the trust of so many, but I will do everything I can to live up to those expectations.”