Trump Withdraws NASA Administrator Nomination Over "Moon Before Mars" Stance

Isaacman's Statement Prioritizing Lunar Exploration at Hearing Raises Concerns
White House: "NASA Administrator Must Align with Trump's Agenda"

The White House has withdrawn the nomination of Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 Payments, for the position of NASA administrator, just before the Senate confirmation vote.

On May 31 (local time), outlets such as the Associated Press and the U.S. online media The Hill reported this development. Isaacman, 42 years old this year, is the founder of the electronic payments company Shift4 Payments. He has also invested billions of dollars in SpaceX, the private space company founded by Elon Musk. In September of last year, he became the first private astronaut to participate in a spacewalk.

Isaacman had undergone a Senate confirmation hearing in April, and a confirmation vote was scheduled for this month. However, despite the Republican Party holding the Senate majority, his nomination was abruptly withdrawn ahead of the vote. This is believed to be because Isaacman could not agree with the Trump administration's new space exploration direction, which prioritizes Mars.

Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 Payments, whose nomination as NASA administrator was withdrawn. Photo by Yonhap News

In his inaugural address in January, President Trump expressed his interest in Mars exploration, stating, "We will send American astronauts to Mars and plant the Stars and Stripes there." However, during last month's Senate hearing, Isaacman sparked controversy among President Donald Trump's supporters by stating that he would prioritize lunar exploration over Mars in NASA's space exploration plans.

On this day, the White House announced Isaacman's withdrawal in a written email briefing, stating, "The NASA administrator must be someone who helps carry out President Trump's bold mission to lead humanity into space and plant the American flag on Mars." The briefing further explained, "It is essential that the next leader of NASA be fully aligned with President Trump's 'America First' agenda."

Initially, U.S. political circles and academia believed that CEO Musk had influenced Isaacman's nomination. For this reason, some analysts suggest that the timing of this withdrawal, coinciding with Musk stepping down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on May 30, may have political implications. As DOGE chief, Musk had clashed with key figures in the Trump administration over major policies.

Meanwhile, Musk commented on a post about Isaacman's nomination withdrawal on the social networking platform X (formerly Twitter), saying, "It is not easy to find someone as competent and good-hearted as him."