Trump’s Billionaire Pick for NASA Is Back. So What Changed?

President Trump has announced his renomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA.

“This evening, I am pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of NASA,†Trump posted on Truth Social Tuesday evening. “Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era.â€

Isaacman will have to go through another confirmation process, which will likely be delayed by the ongoing government shutdown. If he is not confirmed by the end of the year, he will have to resubmit conflict-of-interest paperwork, potentially dragging out the process into late spring.

In his statement, Trump did not explain why he now believes Isaacman is fit for the role after pulling his nomination in late May, but a lot went down over the past five months. Let’s take a look at how we got here.

Isaacman’s supporters stayed on the ball

Isaacman was just days away from a full Senate vote that was expected to confirm him as NASA Administrator when Trump pulled the rug out. At the time, the president said he made the decision due to concerns about Isaacman’s ties to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk—who had just fallen out with Trump—and his past Democratic campaign donations.

For his part, Isaacman bowed out gracefully, thanking Trump for the honor of the nomination. In July, Trump installed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as acting NASA administrator, intending for Duffy to ultimately review candidates and select a full-time space chief.

While Duffy settled into the job, high-profile supporters of Isaacman—including former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and MAGA influencer Laura Loomer—continued to champion his bid.

Their efforts clearly gained Trump’s attention. According to Politico, Sheehy said he spoke with the president about Isaacman at a Rose Garden lunch on October 21, claiming Trump praised the former nominee and wanted to talk to Duffy about next steps. A source also informed CNBC that Isaacman had met with Trump himself to discuss the possibility of another nomination.

We may never know what was said during these talks or what arguments Isaacman and his supporters presented to Trump. Nonetheless, this determination appears to have paid off, with Trump apparently now seeing past his initial concerns.

Better aligned with Trump’s agenda

These conversations aside, the fact that Trump softened toward Isaacman just months after calling him a “blue blooded democrat†remains perplexing. However, Isaacman has made a concerted effort to distance himself from that narrative.

A month after Trump withdrew his nomination, Isaacman donated $1 million to a MAGA political action committee and made several smaller contributions to the Republican National Committee, according to the Federal Election Commission. By September, he was back in the White House for a dinner with tech industry leaders.

In the weeks that followed, however, reports strongly suggested that Duffy was jockeying to keep the space chief role for himself. Though NASA has refuted such claims, they sparked fierce competition between his supporters and Isaacman’s.

On Monday, a confidential 62-page document outlining Isaacman’s vision for NASA suddenly came to light. Sources suggested to Ars Technica that the leak originated in Duffy’s office, but this claim has not been independently confirmed.

Isaacman and his advisors drafted the plans following his original nomination, then gave an edited, 62-page version to Duffy upon his installation as acting NASA administrator. It’s unclear whether Trump had seen the document, titled “Athena,†prior to the leak, but it is interesting that Isaacman’s renomination came almost immediately after the news broke.

Reports indicate that the Athena papers contain multiple proposals that align closely with the changes Trump sought in his fiscal year 2026 budget request for NASA. For example, Isaacman recommends canceling the Gateway lunar space station and the Space Launch System (SLS)—both part of the current architecture for NASA’s Artemis program—after two more missions.

Based on the document, Isaacman would run NASA more like a business, Politico reported. He recommends increasing the agency’s reliance on the commercial space industry and carrying out extensive reorganization and cost-saving efforts. These proposals are also well-aligned with Trump’s vision for NASA.

It’s possible that the release of these plans helped solidify Trump’s renewed support for Isaacman, but this has not been confirmed. Regardless of how we got to this point, Isaacman’s renomination is a harbinger of change at NASA. Whether it’s the kind of change NASA needs remains up for debate.