President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to change Elon Musk’s preferred pick to lead NASA may have done more to fuel the historic blowup between the two men than previously known.
The president canceled his nomination of Jared Isaacman as NASA’s administrator after Musk officially left the White House on Friday.
Isaacman, a billionaire, pilot, and astronaut, was close with Musk and even flew to space with Musk’s Dragon program on Operation Polaris Dawn in 2024.
But he had a history of donating funds to Democrats, including recent Democratic candidates who ran against GOP senators Tim Sheehy of Montana and Bernie Moreno of Ohio in 2024.
Despite his donations, Isaacman was approved by the Senate committee in April and was expected to get confirmed this week in the Senate.
But Trump’s advisor Sergio Gor, in charge of managing the White House personnel office, reportedly delivered Trump a list of Isaacman’s donations to Democrats according to reporting from Axios.
Gor did not appreciate Musk’s involvement in personnel matters, the report noted, as they had a tense relationship.
‘This was Sergio’s out-the-door ‘f**k you’ to Musk,’ one White House official said.
Trump and Musk spoke about Issacson’s record prior to their press conference last Friday.
Despite their conversation, Trump pulled Issacson’s nomination on Saturday.
‘After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.
Sergio Gor speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden
(L-R) Aide Walt Nauta, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Assistant to the President Sergio Gor, and an aide, wait for U.S. President Donald Trump to board Marine One on the South Lawn
Musk responded to the news with disappointment
‘It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted,’ Musk wrote of Isaacman on X.
The president mused Thursday that Musk’s personal attacks might have been trigged by his decision.
‘I know that disturbed him He wanted and rightfully recommended somebody that I guess he knew very well. I’m sure he respected him, to run NASA. But I didn’t think it was appropriate. He happened to be a Democrat, like totally Democrat,’ Trump said, adding that the administration had the right to nominate a Republican to the position.
Gor