WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed the billionaire entrepreneur's status on Wednesday. Jared Isaacman to become NASA administrator on Wednesday, putting him in charge of the agency after a months-long saga in which President Donald Trump withdrew his candidacy as part of a feud with tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Isaacman, who promised to bring a business-like approach to the space agency, was confirmed on a bipartisan vote of 67-30.
He will take office after an unusual confirmation process that has been disrupted by the Republican president's volatile and at times tumultuous relationships with prominent technology leaders who have supported his campaign, most notably Musk, the Tesla CEO who is a close ally of Isaacman.
Trump selected Isaacman last year but withdrew his nomination in May after disagreements with Musk over the administration's policies on issues such as electric vehicles and Musk's government efficiency department.
Musk was Trump's biggest 2024 campaign contributor, and once the administration took office, he assembled a team for DOGE that tore through federal government departments, contracts and critical infrastructure. The month-long operation led to deep cuts to federal contracts focused on foreign aid, global health, and massive layoffs of federal workers.
But these efforts have not resulted in the significant reduction in the federal budget deficit as claimed. Musk also feuded with some senior Cabinet officials and, eventually, with Trump himself. Musk is also the CEO of spaceflight company SpaceX and dreams of human colonization of space.
Trump nominated Isaacman for the position again in November. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy served as NASA's interim administrator until a permanent leader emerged.
Isaacman is the founder of Shift4 Payments, a payment processing and technology solutions company based in Pennsylvania. He is also the co-founder of Draken International, a Florida-based aerospace company. He did business with Musk's Starlink and other businesses associated with another billionaire.
During Isaacman's second confirmation hearing in December, Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., demanded Isaacman “explain what caused President Trump to reconsider his decision to withdraw your nomination and what assurances you may have provided to Elon Musk and SpaceX that would not create a material conflict of interest in this position.”
Isaacman responded that he “wouldn't even like to speculate on why the President nominated and then re-nominated me.” He said he has pledged to avoid conflicts of interest in his position. In a June letter, Isaacman promised to resign from his private sector posts if he is confirmed as NASA administrator.
Republicans have welcomed some of Isaacman's proposals, and some new senators have strongly advocated for his confirmation. But many Democrats disagreed with Isaacman and Trump's plans, including the proposed cost of some projects and the agency's overall priorities.
“For nearly 70 years, the United States has been at the forefront of space exploration. President Trump knows how important it is to reinvigorate NASA as we strive to reach new heights on the greatest frontier ever known, and that's why he chose just the right man for the job,” Sen. Tim Sheehy, an aerial firefighter, former Navy SEAL and close ally of Isaacman, said in a statement.
Sheehy, R-Mont. added that he is confident that Isaacman “will work tirelessly to ensure America wins the 21st century space race.”
