It appears Jared Isaacman’s goal of heading NASA is still a possibility.
A report in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal says that the founder and executive chair of Upper Saucon Township payment processing company Shift4 is in a competition with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to lead the organization.
Isaacman, who amassed a personal fortune and followed his childhood dream to be an astronaut, was nominated to the job by President Donald Trump this year. But his name was withdrawn in May after undergoing a “thorough review” of “prior associations.”
Duffy, the acting administrator, interviewed Isaacman for the job Oct. 13, according to the Journal.
The report says both men have been lobbying behind the scenes, and associates for Duffy and Isaacman have talked to President Donald Trump and members of his administration to make their cases. One of them was Pete Meachum, Duffy’s chief of staff, according to the Journal, who raised concerns about Isaacman’s hiring lobbyists and social-media influencers to help him.
“I don’t have any paid lobbyists or advocates and I have never expressed confidence about a renomination at any point,” Isaacman said in a statement to the Journal.
Trump could make an announcement as soon as Monday and wants to have the position filled by the end of year, according to reports, as NASA is looking to increase space exploration.
Isaacman, 42, who lives in Northampton County with his family, has been a close collaborator with Elon Musk ever since buying his first chartered flight on Musk’s SpaceX company in 2021. He went to space again in 2024, reaching a peak altitude of 870 miles, and performed the first private spacewalk.
When Trump withdrew the nomination in May, the New York Times reported that the president was not happy over Isaacman’s past support of Democratic candidates including U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly — a fellow astronaut — and former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild. It also happened around the time Trump had a falling out with Musk over releasing the Jeffrey Epstein investigation files.
The Journal reported through federal election records that Isaacman has taken steps to win over Trump, including donating $1 million to a MAGA-related fund this year. He has also become friendly with pro-Trump media figures, such as conservative commentator Benny Johnson.
Meanwhile, Duffy has sought to put NASA fully under the Department of Transportation, the Journal said. He has been talking with private companies about space stations and putting a nuclear facility on the moon by the end of the decade.
In his statement to the Journal, Isaacman said he has a lot of respect for Duffy and has always enjoyed their time together.
“I’m grateful to all the supporters and to President Trump for the consideration, and most of all, I just wish to see NASA continue to shine as the world’s most accomplished space agency,” Isaacman said.