Trump Picks Sean Duffy as Temporary NASA Chief

Sean Duffy has become the latest member of President Trump's Cabinet to take on an extra job. Trump has named the transportation secretary as the interim chief of NASA after withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman, a close associate of Elon Musk, the New York Times reports. Duffy, who will keep his transportation post while taking the helm at America's space agency, said he was "honored to accept this mission."

• "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," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time."

Space.com describes Duffy, a former reality TV star who represented a Wisconsin district in the House for eight years, as a "Trump insider with no real background in space." Trump rescinded Isaacman's nomination on May 31 following reports that the billionaire had made donations to Democratic candidates. His high-profile falling-out with Musk happened days later. Last week, Trump said he thought it was "inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA."

Duffy will replace veteran NASA exec Janet Petro, who had served as acting administrator since January. Space.com predicts that a permanent administrator won't be named until next year. Isaacman appears to have no hard feelings: In a post on X, he said Trump had made a "great move," adding that NASA "needs political leadership from someone the President trusts and has confidence in." The space agency is shedding more than 2,000 senior employees under Trump's reduction of the federal workforce.