Not loyal enough: Trump withdraws Jared Isaacman's nomination for NASA head

The Donald Trump administration has officially withdrawn Jared Isaacman's nomination to be NASA administrator, despite his nomination having been approved by a Senate committee a month ago. The reason for this decision was that Isaacman was not sufficiently loyal to Trump's political course, in particular the America First program. This was first reported by Semafor. Isaacman himself later confirmed his withdrawal.

According to Ars Technica, White House spokeswoman Liz Houston said that President Trump plans to announce a new candidate for NASA administrator who will fully support his ambitious goal of sending Americans to Mars and planting the US flag on the planet.

It is worth noting that Isaacman is a well-known entrepreneur and private astronaut who has received the support of Elon Musk. It was thanks to Musk that he was able to bypass the strict political loyalty checks that other candidates for high positions in the Trump administration were subjected to. However, Musk recently said that he has significantly reduced his participation in political life, and his departure from Washington has opened the way for critics who opposed Isaacman's candidacy. Among the claims are that he has funded Democrats and spoken out against some of the NASA budget cuts planned by the White House.

After Musk's departure, critics in the Trump administration intensified their efforts to block Isaacman's appointment.

This decision is a serious blow to NASA, as the agency is already facing significant budget cuts. In 2026, funding could decrease by 24% compared to 2025. NASA sources note that without Isaacman, the agency finds itself in a very difficult situation, as he had real plans to help the organization cope with these challenges.

Now, among the candidates for the position of administrator, US Air Force General Steven Quast is being named - a MAGA supporter, but his experience is more related to military tasks than to space activities.