President Donald Trump has appointed Sean Duffy as NASA’s interim administrator, effectively sidelining Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk.
Duffy, currently serving as Transportation Secretary and a former U.S. lawmaker, will temporarily lead the $25 billion U.S. space agency.
Previously, Janet Petro managed NASA. She had led the Kennedy Space Centre since the start of Trump’s presidency.
Trump announced Duffy’s appointment Wednesday night via his Truth Social platform.
He praised Duffy’s work in transportation, particularly his reforms in air traffic control and road infrastructure.
“Sean is doing a tremendous job modernizing our transport system,” Trump said. “He’ll lead NASA with the same energy.”
The president expressed confidence in Duffy’s leadership, calling the appointment “short but significant.”
Duffy accepted the nomination on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let’s launch.”
Trump made the appointment after suddenly withdrawing Isaacman’s nomination, citing his political affiliations as the reason.
Isaacman, a billionaire businessman and private astronaut, had reportedly received Musk’s recommendation to lead NASA.
Trump criticized Isaacman as “a Democrat who had never supported Republicans,” despite Musk’s backing.
The move angered Musk, whose company SpaceX partners with NASA on multiple missions.
Reports indicate Trump was aware of Isaacman’s political donations before nominating him, fueling speculation about internal disagreements.
Federal records show Isaacman donated to both Democratic and Republican candidates, though he gave more to Republicans.
Trump later stated that appointing Musk’s close friend to run NASA would be “inappropriate,” given Musk’s business interests in space.
Isaacman, who flew to space aboard SpaceX rockets, responded on X, describing himself as “a right-leaning moderate.”
He said he had disclosed all political donations before his nomination and had signed ethics agreements.
“I care about America’s leadership in space,” he wrote. “This was never for political gain.”
After Trump appointed Duffy, Isaacman congratulated him and said NASA needed a leader the president trusted.
Analysts view the move as another sign of a growing rift between Trump and Musk ahead of the upcoming elections.
NASA plays a crucial role in U.S. space exploration, and changes in leadership could significantly impact ongoing projects and international partnerships.