On Saturday, May 31, US President Trump announced the withdrawal of the nomination of billionaire private space traveler Jared Isaacman as the head of the US Space Agency (NASA) and stated that he would seek another suitable candidate.
Trump wrote on his social platform “Truth Social”, “After a thorough review of past relationships, I have decided to withdraw the nomination of Jared Isaacman. I will nominate someone who shares my space vision and can implement ‘America First’ in the field of space as soon as possible.”
Isaacman was scheduled to undergo a confirmation vote in the Senate next week. In response to the withdrawal of the nomination, he released a statement on social platform X on the same day, thanking President Trump, the Senate, and supporters from all walks of life. He expressed that this experience has given him a greater understanding of government operations and political responsibility. Despite not being able to serve as the agency head, he remains passionate about space exploration and plans to continue participating in other ways.
At 42 years old, Isaacman is the CEO and founder of the payment processing company Shift4 and has been actively promoting commercial space development in recent years. He has sponsored and personally participated in several SpaceX manned missions, making him an important driver for private sector involvement in space projects.
Despite his industry-recognized professional background, some members of Congress have expressed concerns about his close relationship with SpaceX, fearing that if he were to serve as the agency head, it could lead to policy conflicts of interest. SpaceX and NASA currently have multiple collaborations, including manned missions, supply plans, and lunar projects.
In response to this personnel change, Musk expressed regret on X, saying, “It’s hard to find someone as capable and kind-hearted as him.”
The new nominee for the agency head has not been announced yet. Reuters cited insiders who pointed out that retired US Air Force Major General Steven Kwast is a potential candidate. He is a staunch supporter of Trump, has a background in military and space policy, and has actively promoted the establishment of a Space Force, aligning with Trump’s policy of strengthening national space defense.
Just the day before the nomination was withdrawn, the Trump administration unveiled the 2026 NASA budget proposal, suggesting a reduction of the total budget from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion, a decrease of about 24%, and a cut of nearly one-third of the staff. If approved by Congress, this would be the largest annual budget cut in NASA’s history, drawing widespread attention from the scientific and political communities.