Trump names Sean Duffy as interim NASA head after Isaacman withdrawal
Sean Duffy previews plan for new air traffic control system
Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy joins ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss safety concerns after an air traffic control employee said the level of stress in the job is ‘unsurmountable’ and his report on California’s proposed high-speed rail.
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President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he is tapping Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to serve as interim administrator of NASA, a move the president said reflects the growing importance of space in national priorities.
“I am pleased to announce that I am directing our GREAT Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, to be Interim Administrator of NASA,” Trump posted to Truth Social.
“He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time.”
The president praised Duffy’s performance at the Department of Transportation, calling his tenure “TREMENDOUS,” and sharing his work on air traffic control modernization and infrastructure revival. “Rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again,” Trump wrote.
SNUB OF MUSK’S NASA NOMINEE ALLY PRECEDED SUDDEN ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ CRITICISM, TRUMP FEUD
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy testifies during a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on May 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Duffy, a former congressman from Wisconsin and longtime Trump ally, accepted the role enthusiastically. “🚀 Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let’s launch.” he wrote on X.
Duffy replaces Janet Petro, who has served as acting NASA administrator since January. Trump withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination for the role in May.
Jared Isaacman, former nominee to be NASA administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, testified during his Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing in Russell building on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut and longtime associate of Elon Musk, was nominated by Trump in December 2024 but faced mounting scrutiny over ties to Musk and SpaceX, which some officials viewed as a conflict of interest.
According to The Associated Press, Trump said the decision to pull Isaacman’s name came after a “thorough review of prior associations” and growing concern over “corporate entanglements.”
DOT Secretary Sean Duffy takes on an additional role as Interim NASA Administrator. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
NASA has increasingly factored into the Trump administration’s national defense, innovation, and economic agenda. Trump has long emphasized the strategic importance of space, launching the Space Force during his first term.
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