President Donald Trump has named Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as interim head of NASA, tapping the former congressman to lead the nation’s top space agency following the withdrawal of Trump’s original nominee, Jared Isaacman.
Trump announced the move Wednesday on Truth Social, praising Duffy’s performance at the Department of Transportation and expressing confidence in his ability to temporarily guide the space agency.
“Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country’s Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control system, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges,” Trump wrote. “He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time.”
Duffy, a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin and longtime Trump ally, will take the reins at NASA as the administration looks to accelerate its national security and deep space priorities, including Project Eagle and lunar defense infrastructure.
Trump’s original nominee, billionaire entrepreneur and private astronaut Jared Isaacman, was withdrawn by the White House on June 1 after revelations about his past political affiliations.
“I decided to pull Isaacman’s nomination after I learned he was a blue-blooded Democrat who had never contributed to a Republican before,” Trump explained in a follow-up post. “It also raised concerns that someone so closely tied to Elon Musk, who is heavily invested in the space business, would run NASA.”
Isaacman, who led the all-civilian Inspiration4 space mission and flew on SpaceX rockets, responded by calling himself a “right-leaning moderate” and said his donations to both parties were disclosed during the vetting process.
Elon Musk, who had supported Isaacman’s nomination prior to a recent fallout with Trump, posted on X: “It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.”
Duffy’s temporary appointment positions him to stabilize the agency while the White House prepares a new nominee. No timeline has been given for a permanent replacement, but sources close to the administration say Trump is looking for a pick with a “mission-first, America-first” mindset and no conflicts of interest with private space firms.
NASA is currently overseeing multiple national defense-adjacent missions, including plans for a lunar base, a new generation of manned spaceflight, and increasing orbital security capabilities amid rising tensions with China.