Trump drops Isaacman from NASA nomination over past donations
Donald Trump withdrew Jared Isaacman's candidacy for the head of the NASA space agency after a "review of his prior associations." The "New York Times" reports that this is related to donations to Democrats.
What do you need to know?
- Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he withdrew the candidacy of billionaire and associate of Elon Musk, Jared Isaacman, for the head of the NASA space agency.
- According to the "New York Times," this happened because of his previous donations to Democrats.
- Isaacman was expected to gain a majority of votes in the Senate, but Trump's decision changes the situation.
"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 stated on his social media platform, Truth Social.
As reported by the "New York Times," Trump turned against his candidate after he learned that in the past, he donated money to the campaigns of prominent Democratic politicians, including former astronaut, Senator Mark Kelly.
Trump withdrew the candidate for NASA head. Announced the decision
Jared Isaacman, a 42-year-old businessman and pilot, is known for his passion for aviation and connections with Elon Musk. He recently gained fame as the commander of the Inspiration4 mission, the first all-civilian orbital flight, which took place aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft owned by SpaceX.
The decision to withdraw Isaacman's candidacy was made a few days before the expected vote on approving Isaacman's candidacy in the Senate, where - until recently - he was expected to gain the required majority of votes. As a result, the American space agency is likely to remain without a full-fledged head for the next few months.
The "New York Times" reports that Trump informed his circle about withdrawing Isaacman's candidacy on Friday, which was the last formal workday for Elon Musk in the Trump administration.
During Senate hearings, Isaacman expressed opposition to proposed cuts to NASA's budget, which are expected to be as much as 25 percent. They are expected to significantly change the plans of NASA's most important current programme, Artemis, intended to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon and take the first humans to Mars.
