Trump brings back Elon Musk’s friend Jared Isaacman as NASA nominee
The post Trump brings back Elon Musk’s friend Jared Isaacman as NASA nominee appeared com. Donald Trump has renominated Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, months after pulling the same nomination during what Trump described as a “thorough review of prior associations.” The decision puts Jared back into a role he was originally selected for in December, before Trump even formally returned to the White House. Jared is an eccentric billionaire, who founded of Shift4 and commanders two private spaceflights. But Jared is also known to be close, long-term friends with Elon Musk, whose companies hold major influence in the U. S. space industry. In the statement shared Tuesday on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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.” That post marked the formal reinstatement of Jared’s nomination. The first nomination was withdrawn in late May after tensions between Trump and Elon, who at the time was involved in a White House effort to cut the size of federal agencies. Trump said the withdrawal was due to reviewing Jared’s “past associations,” but he did not explain further. Reports suggested the reference pointed to Jared’s earlier donations to Democrats, though nothing was confirmed from the White House. Isaacman reorganizes Shift4 and prepares for Senate confirmation Days after the pulled nomination, Jared addressed Shift4 investors. He wrote that his “brief stint in politics was a thrilling experience.” He then announced that he would step down as CEO and instead become executive chairman of the company he founded in 1999 at age 16. He had been planning to leave the CEO role if the Senate confirmed him to lead NASA, but the confirmation process did not take place at that time. Since July, NASA has been led.