Jared Isaacman's all-civilian Inspiration4 mission sought to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through a donation-based sweepstakes to select a member of the crew.
Furthermore, Trump said he would select a "new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space."
Isaacman’s ties to Musk include being an investor in SpaceX, and leading two private spaceflight missions with SpaceX, including Inspiration4. The 2021 Inspiration4 mission marked the first time an all-civilian crew orbited Earth.
Isaacman initially discussed his pulled nomination in an episode of the "All-In Podcast," hosted by four venture capitalists and covers business, technology and society, in an episode that dropped in June. At the time, Isaacman said he received a call from the White House May 30 notifying him his nomination wouldn’t advance because the White House had "decided to go in a different direction."
Isaacman said he suspected his ties to Musk were part of the decision, and said the call came the same day Musk’s tenure heading up the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) finished.
MUSK ALLY JARED ISAACMAN MAKES COMEBACK BID FOR NASA ADMINISTRATOR ROLE AFTER MAY WITHDRAWAL: REPORT
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, right, sparred earlier in 2025 due to disagreements about the president's massive tax and spending package, known as the "big, beautiful bill," which Trump signed into law in July. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)
However, the two appear to have moved on, and both were seen shaking hands and talking during conservative activist Charlie Kirk's funeral in September.
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Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has been serving as the acting NASA administrator since July.
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-renominates-musk-ally-jared-isaacman-lead-nasa-after-earlier-reversal