White House to replace Trump pick for NASA administrator

The White House has seemingly pulled the nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman to be NASA administrator and said President Donald Trump would soon name a replacement.

The White House did not explain the move in its statement, but White House spokesperson Liz Huston said “it’s essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump’s America First agenda.”

Trump in December said he was nominating Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who has never been in federal government, as NASA administrator.

Isaacman has been to space twice, on commercial missions that he funded himself.

“The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and execute President Trump’s bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars,” Huston said in a statement.

The news outlet Semafor first reported Saturday that the White House was expected to pull Isaacman’s nomination.

The move comes as Isaacman was approaching a possible confirmation vote. A cloture motion on his nomination, which ends debate, is eligible for a vote on Monday, according to the congressional calendar.