U.S. Transport Secretary Duffy to be interim NASA administrator, Trump says
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Trump names Transportation Secretary Duffy as interim NASA administrator
President Donald Trump tapped Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to serve as the interim administrator of NASA. Duffy will temporarily take over the post that has been in the spotlight due to Trump’s feud with billionaire Elon Musk. Trump named billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman to be the NASA administrator in December, before abruptly withdrawing his nomination in May. After Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, Isaacman called it “a great move” and wished Duffy well.
U.S. President Donald Trump Wednesday tapped Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to serve as the interim administrator of NASA, a role that has remained vacant since Trump withdrew his initial nominee.
Duffy will temporarily take over the post that has been in the spotlight due to Trump’s feud with billionaire Elon Musk, who wanted his close ally Jared Isaacman to lead the space agency.
“Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country’s Transportation Affairs … He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump named Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut, to be the NASA administrator in December, before abruptly withdrawing his nomination in May, in a decision that angered SpaceX-owner Musk.
While at the time the White House did not provide an explanation for pulling Isaacman’s nomination, Trump has since said it was “inappropriate” to have named Isaacman as NASA administrator, considering Musk’s business with the space agency.
After Trump’s announcement on Wednesday, Isaacman called it “a great move” and wished Duffy well.
“NASA needs political leadership from someone the President trusts and has confidence in,” Isaacman said on X.
Trump’s announcement came as Politico reported that more than 2,100 senior-ranking NASA employees are set to leave their jobs under a push by the administration to shed staff through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations.
Under Trump’s administration, the U.S. space industry and NASA’s workforce of 18,000 have been whipsawed by looming layoffs and proposed budget cuts that would cancel dozens of science programs.
Trump names U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as interim NASA administrator
President Donald Trump has named U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as NASA’s interim administrator. Duffy, the former Wisconsin congressman, posted on X that he’s honored to accept the mission. President Trump previously named billionaire Jared Isaacman to be NASA’s chief, but he pulled the nomination in May. ‘I will not be surrendering him’: Wallaby owner fights to keep pet.
President Donald Trump has named U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as NASA’s interim administrator.
Duffy, the former Wisconsin congressman, posted on X that he’s honored to accept the mission.
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🚀 Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let’s launch. 🇺🇸🛰️ pic.twitter.com/ZBoEgPnwz4 — Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) July 10, 2025
President Trump previously named billionaire Jared Isaacman to be NASA’s chief, but he pulled the nomination in May.
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Trump names Transportation Secretary Duffy as interim Nasa administrator
US President Donald Trump tapped US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to serve as the interim administrator of Nasa on July 8. Mr Duffy will temporarily take over the post that has been in the spotlight due to Mr Trump’s feud with billionaire Elon Musk. More than 2,100 senior-ranking Nasa employees are set to leave their jobs under a push by the administration to shed staff through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations.
More than 2,100 senior-ranking NASA employees are set to leave their jobs.
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump tapped US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to serve as the interim administrator of Nasa on July 8 , a role that has remained vacant since Mr Trump withdrew his initial nominee.
Mr Duffy will temporarily take over the post that has been in the spotlight due to Mr Trump’s feud with billionaire Elon Musk , who wanted his close ally Jared Isaacman to lead the space agency.
“Sean is doing a tremendous job in handling our c ountry’s t ransportation a ffairs … He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important s pace a gency, even if only for a short period of time,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Mr Trump named Mr Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut, to be the NASA administrator in December 2025 , before abruptly withdrawing his nomination in May , in a decision that angered SpaceX owner Mr Musk.
While at the time the White House did not provide an explanation for pulling Mr Isaacman’s nomination, the US President has since said it was “inappropriate” to have named Mr Isaacman as Nasa administrator, considering Mr Musk’s business with the space agency.
After Mr Trump’s announcement on July 8, Mr Isaacman called it “a great move” and wished Mr Duffy well.
“Nasa needs political leadership from someone the President trusts and has confidence in,” Mr Isaacman said on X.
Mr Trump’s announcement came as Politico reported that more than 2,100 senior-ranking Nasa employees are set to leave their jobs under a push by the administration to shed staff through early retirement, buyouts and deferred resignations.
Under Mr Trump’s administration, the US space industry and Nasa’s workforce of 18,000 have been whipsawed by looming layoffs and proposed budget cuts that would cancel dozens of science programs. REUTERS
Trump taps Sean Duffy to serve as interim NASA chief
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he is tapping Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to serve as interim administrator of NASA. Trump said Duffy will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency. Duffy replaces Janet Petro, who has served as acting NASA administrator since January. Trump withdrew Jared Isaacman’s nomination for the role in May, citing concerns over “corporate entanglements” and “previous associations” with Musk and SpaceX.
“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.
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“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.
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.
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Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy listens as President Donald J Trump participates in a Cabinet Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. Ron Sachs/CNP / SplashNews.com
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.”
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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.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump names Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as interim head of NASA
President Donald Trump says he is directing Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to be the interim NASA administrator. “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. Congratulations, and thank you, Sean,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social Wednesday. In late May, the president rescinded his nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, citing a “thorough review of prior associations”
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he is directing Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to be the interim NASA administrator.
“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 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 president wrote in a post on Truth Social Wednesday.
“Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let’s launch,” Duffy wrote on X shortly after the president’s post.
In late May, the president rescinded his nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman to lead NASA, citing a “thorough review of prior associations.”
The shake-up came just days before the Senate was expected to vote on the nomination of Isaacman, who has twice traveled to space on private missions and has close ties to billionaire and SpaceX chief Elon Musk.
“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA. I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space,” the president said at the time.
CNN has previously reported NASA administrators are typically selected from a pool of scientists, engineers, academics or public servants. Effectively leading the $25 billion agency — and securing funding for projects NASA hopes to accomplish — routinely requires the agency’s chief to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
The president, discussing Isaacman’s nomination in a long social media post railing against Musk over the weekend, said that he thought it would have been “inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon … run NASA.”
“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,” the president wrote in the post.
Musk, formerly a close Trump ally who led the Department of Government Efficiency, departed the administration in early June, and his relationship with the president has broken down in recent weeks following a disagreement over Trump’s sweeping agenda package.
Musk and Duffy sparred at a March cabinet meeting, according to a source familiar, when the Transportation secretary accused the tech billionaire of trying to fire air traffic controllers.
Duffy is not the only member of the president’s Cabinet to take up an additional job outside of their traditional purview. Secretary of State Marco Rubio currently serves as interim national security adviser and national archivist.
This story has been updated with additional details.