The president pulled Jared Isaacman’s nomination after a evaluate of his ‘prior associations.’
Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and previously the nominee for President Donald Trump’s NASA Administrator, has acquired scrutiny over his previous donations amid rising public tensions between Trump and Elon Musk.
In saying the choice final week, Trump cited a “thorough evaluate of prior associations” and mentioned that he would nominate a person who would put “America First in House.”
Isaacman had been recommended for the highest house place by Musk, who heads SpaceX, the world’s most useful non-public house firm. Isaacman helmed a number of spaceflight missions operated by SpaceX, together with the 2021 Inspiration4 and the 2024 Polaris Daybreak, throughout which he participated within the first non-public spacewalk.
Isaacman gathered his wealth by Shift4 Funds, the fee processing firm he based in his mother and father’ home at age 16. He’s additionally the founding father of Draken Worldwide, an aerospace protection contractor.
Trump has highlighted the truth that Musk knew Isaacman “very properly,” however mentioned that Isaacman was a “Democrat,” and that his nomination was “inappropriate.”
“He occurred to be a Democrat—like, completely Democrat,” Trump mentioned.
“I say, , look, we received. We get sure privileges, and one of many privileges is we don’t must appoint a Democrat,” Trump instructed reporters final week.
The NASA emblem within the Webb Auditorium at NASA headquarters in Washington, DC, on June 7, 2022. STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP through Getty Photographs
A senior administration official instructed The Epoch Instances, that Isaacman’s nomination wasn’t pulled due to Musk and that different administration officers and nominees recommended by Musk aren’t affected.
“Jared Isaacman ought to have by no means been picked,” mentioned the senior administration official, talking on the situation of anonymity.
“I wish to be overwhelmingly clear. I don’t fault the President in any respect. I totally assist him,” Isaacman mentioned.
Isaacman didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark by The Epoch Instances.
President Donald Trump delivers remarks on the U.S. Metal Company – Irvin Works in West Mifflin, Pa., on Might 30, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Instances
Talking of his nomination interview, he praised Trump for a depth of information in regards to the house program and China.
“The President was extremely educated. I used to be impressed,” he mentioned, noting they spoke lots in regards to the Chinese language Air Pressure.
After leaving the Trump administration as a particular worker final week, Musk has criticized the Republicans’ One Huge Stunning Invoice Act, which the president endorsed, over its potential fiscal influence on the federal authorities, calling the tax and spending package deal an “abomination.”
Trump has since threatened to drag federal subsidies and contracts for Musk’s corporations, saying it might be the “easiest method to save cash in our Price range, Billions and Billions of {Dollars}.” Musk is the CEO of spacecraft producer SpaceX and electrical car maker Tesla.