Isaacman Blames Withdrawal of NASA Chief Nomination on Retribution

White House says the private astronaut was removed from consideration due to past donations to Democratic causes.

Jack Daleo

Friday, June 06, 2025 at 06:00 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Jared Isaacman appears before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. [Courtesy: NASA/Bill Ingalls]

Key Takeaways:

Jared Isaacman's nomination to lead NASA was unexpectedly withdrawn by the White House, despite receiving broad industry support and clearing a Senate committee vote.
Isaacman believes the withdrawal was driven by "axes to grind" within the White House, specifically linking it to Elon Musk's recent departure from a government advisory role, rather than his publicly available political donations.
President Trump explicitly stated he axed Isaacman's nomination due to his past donations to Democrats and the desire for a "mission-aligned" leader who would "put America First in space."

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Shift4 Payments founder and private astronaut Jared Isaacman believes “some people” within the White House “that had some axes to grind” are behind the surprising withdrawal of his nomination to lead NASA.

In April, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation voted 19-9 to send Isaacman’s nomination to the full chamber. His confirmation vote was expected to take place in the coming days. Despite some scrutiny from Democrats and a handful of Republicans—including the committee’s chairman, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)—Isaacman had enjoyed broad support from the commercial aerospace industry, which viewed him as a dynamic and capable leader.