Overview

• President Trump’s administration withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination on May 31, just days before the Senate was set to vote on his confirmation.
• The White House said it will soon announce a successor to lead NASA.
• Isaacman’s nomination had advanced through the Senate Commerce Committee in April and was scheduled for a floor vote once senators returned from the Memorial Day recess.
• The administration’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal calls for a 24% cut to NASA funding, which Isaacman had cautioned could undermine the agency’s science programs.
• Some Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Tim Sheehy, criticized the withdrawal, and observers suggest tensions over Isaacman’s ties to Elon Musk influenced the decision.