Hold onto your space helmets—President Donald Trump has thrown a curveball by renominating billionaire tech guru and astronaut Jared Isaacman to helm NASA after a dramatic fallout earlier this year.
According to the Daily Mail, in a whirlwind of political chess moves, Trump first tapped Isaacman for the top NASA spot in December 2024, only to pull the plug in May 2025 amid a feud involving Elon Musk, before recently reviving the nomination with fresh backing from key allies.
Isaacman, 42, isn’t just another suit; he’s a tech billionaire and astronaut with a resume that could make even the most seasoned space veteran jealous.
Back in late 2024, Trump’s choice of Isaacman to lead NASA was met with cheers from across the aisle, boasting support from roughly 80 senators eager to see a fresh face in the space game.
But the honeymoon didn’t last long—by May 2025, the White House yanked the nomination faster than a rocket abort sequence. The culprit? A messy spat between Trump and Isaacman’s close pal Elon Musk, with whispers of personal grudges turning the nomination into collateral damage.
Enter Sergio Gor, the former White House Personnel Office boss, who reportedly axed Isaacman’s nomination as a jab at Musk over unrelated bad blood.
“Sergio knifed Jared as payback for his bad feelings against Elon. It was never about Jared,” a source familiar with the matter told the Daily Mail, painting a picture of petty vendettas over policy.
Well, if that’s the game, it’s a sad day when a qualified leader gets sidelined for someone’s bruised ego—NASA deserves better than backroom bickering.
Gor has since moved on to become U.S. Ambassador to India, leaving the Personnel Office in the hands of longtime Trump aide Dan Scavino.
Meanwhile, Isaacman didn’t fade into the background; he stayed tight with Trump’s circle and even dropped a cool $1 million into the president’s fundraising efforts shortly after the nomination fiasco.
No strings attached, mind you—he didn’t whisper a word about NASA while writing that check, keeping things above board.
Fast forward to now, and Isaacman’s got a cavalry of heavy hitters in his corner, including White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Vice President JD Vance, pushing hard for his return.
Even Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who’s been filling in as interim NASA boss since July 2025 and reportedly eyeing the permanent gig, got a polite but firm nudge from Wiles to step aside with a “stern but friendly call to Duffy telling him to 'knock it off,'” per a source speaking to Axios.
That’s the kind of no-nonsense leadership we need—less posturing, more focus on getting the right person in the chair, especially when the stakes are as high as space exploration.