The Trump administration recently pulled Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be NASA administrator, alluding that he was not in “complete alignment” with the president’s agenda.
“The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President [Donald] Trump’s bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars,” White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston told Fox News Digital on Saturday.
Huston added it is “essential” that the next leader of NASA “is in complete alignment” with President Trump’s “America First” agenda.
A replacement will be announced directly by Trump “soon,” according to the White House.
Jared Isaacman, former nominee to be NASA administrator, testified during his Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., April 9. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
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Isaacman is the billionaire founder and CEO of Shift4 payments, a credit card payment processing company.
He reportedly dropped out of high school as a teen, using a $10,000 check from his grandfather to form his tech business.
Jared Isaacman, who was selected to be the nominee for Administrator of NASA, was booted by the White House on Saturday. (om Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., who introduced Isaacman to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, described him as “a successful innovator, entrepreneur, pilot, and astronaut.”
“Jared believes in NASA’s core mission,” Sheehy told Fox. “He has the experience and skillset to ensure we continue to lead in the greatest frontier ever known, and I look forward to adding NASA administrator to his already remarkable resume.”
A new NASA administrator nomination will be announced shortly, the White House says. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
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“For nearly 70 years, the United States has been at the forefront of space exploration,” he continued. “President Trump knows how critical it is to reinvigorate NASA so we can once again lead the world to new heights, and that’s why he chose exactly the right man for the job: Jared Isaacman.”
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The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Preston Mizell and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.