US: White House withdraws NASA nominee, Jared Isaacman, gives reason
US: White House withdraws NASA nominee, Jared Isaacman, gives reason
The White House has withdrawn the nomination of billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, just days before his scheduled Senate confirmation vote.
“It’s essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon,” said White House spokesperson Liz Huston.
Isaacman is the CEO of payment processing company Shift4 and has longstanding ties to Elon Musk. He has worked with SpaceX on commercial spaceflight missions, including as a member of the Polaris Dawn crew.
During his April confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee, Isaacman said he would “prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars.”
He also attempted to distance himself from Musk while being questioned by Democrats about his past affiliations.
While both Musk and Trump have pushed for Mars exploration, Isaacman stated during the hearing that he would prioritize a lunar landing before a Mars mission.
“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA.
“I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space,” Trump said in a social media post.
(ABC News)
