Trump Taps Transportation Secretary Duffy To Head NASA

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is taking over NASA as interim administrator, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday.

Trump announced Duffy’s new role in a post on Truth Social. Who will lead the federal space agency has been an open question since the president pulled the nomination of his first pick, billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, last month.

“I am pleased to announce that I am directing our GREAT Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to be Interim Administrator of NASA,” said Trump.

“Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country’s Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control systems, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again,” he continued. “He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time. Congratulations, and thank you, Sean!”

The White House pulled Isaacman’s nomination on June 1. Isaacman, who is a private astronaut and has led missions to space, was pushed by Elon Musk to head the space agency before Musk and Trump’s relationship ruptured over the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” and other issues.

On Sunday, Trump said he decided to pull Isaacman’s nomination to lead the space agency after the president learned that Isaacman was “a blue blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before.”

“I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life,” said Trump in a post on Truth Social. “My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!”

Isaacman pushed back against Trump’s assertions in a post on X: “I have been relatively apolitical — a right-leaning moderate — and my political donations across both parties (though 10x more to Republicans) were disclosed in writing, with rationale, before my nomination was ever submitted to the Senate.”

Isaacman said of his and Musk’s relationship that the two men have only known each other “professionally, but having flown to space twice on SpaceX rockets, I have a firsthand appreciation for what he and his companies have accomplished.”

After Isaacman’s nomination was pulled, Musk responded in a post on X that “It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.”