### White House Withdraws Jared Isaacman’s NASA Nomination

In an unexpected turn of events, the White House has rescinded its nomination of Jared Isaacman as the next NASA administrator just days before a scheduled Senate confirmation vote, CBS News confirmed on Saturday.

Elizabeth Huston, a spokeswoman for the White House, stated that the next head of NASA will play a crucial role in advancing President Trump’s ambitious goal of planting the American flag on Mars. "It's essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon," Huston remarked. However, she did not disclose why Isaacman’s nomination was withdrawn.

Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and veteran private astronaut, was initially selected by President Trump prior to his inauguration earlier this year. Known for his piloting skills and his ownership of a MiG-29 fighter jet, Isaacman has not publicly commented on the White House’s decision. The news was first reported by Semafor.

Isaacman, who has close connections with Elon Musk and SpaceX, had his nomination approved by the Senate’s Commerce Committee in April. The Senate was slated to vote on his confirmation after the Memorial Day recess next week. In December, after Trump announced his nomination, Isaacman, 42, expressed his commitment to making NASA a vocal advocate for space exploration, envisioning an era where humanity becomes a true spacefaring civilization.

“With the support of President Trump, I can promise you this: We will never again lose our ability to journey to the stars and never settle for second place," Isaacman had stated. "We will inspire children, yours and mine, to look up and dream of what is possible. Americans will walk on the moon and Mars and in doing so, we will make life better here on Earth."

Isaacman would have succeeded former NASA administrator, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, who traveled into orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia in early 1986.