Trump says he's withdrawing the nomination of Musk associate Jared Isaacman to lead NASA

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is withdrawing the nomination of tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, an associate of Trump adviser Elon Musk, to lead NASA, saying he reached the decision after a “thorough review" of Isaacman's "prior associations.”

It was unclear what Trump meant and the White House did not respond to an emailed request for an explanation.

“After a thorough review of prior associations, I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA,” Trump wrote late Saturday on his social media site. “I will soon announce a new Nominee who will be Mission aligned, and put America First in Space.”

In response, Isaacman thanked Trump and the Senate, writing on X that the past six months were “enlightening and, honestly, a bit thrilling.”

“It may not always be obvious through the discourse and turbulence, but there are many competent, dedicated people who love this country and care deeply about the mission,” he said. “That was on full display during my hearing, where leaders on both sides of the aisle made clear they’re willing to fight for the world’s most accomplished space agency.”

Trump announced in December during the presidential transition that he had chosen Isaacman to be the space agency's next administrator. Isaacman, 42, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his first chartered flight on Musk's SpaceX company in 2021.

He is the CEO and founder of Shift4, a credit card processing company. He also bought a series of spaceflights from SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman's nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate was expected soon.

Musk appeared to lament Trump's decision after the news broke earlier Saturday, posting on the X site that, “It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted.”

SpaceX is owned by Musk, a Trump campaign contributor and adviser who announced this week that he is leaving the government after several months at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Trump created the agency to slash the size of government and put Musk in charge.

Semafor was first to report that the White House had decided to pull Isaacman's nomination.

Elon Musk speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The presidential vehicle carrying President Donald Trump leaves Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A man handed an illegal prison sentence years longer than the maximum penalty for his crime has been granted clemency by Mississippi's governor, weeks after the man's brother received clemency in a similar case.

Gov. Tate Reeves announced Wednesday that he was granting clemency to Maurice Taylor. The man's brother, Marcus Taylor, received clemency earlier this month from the governor for another illegal sentence.

In February 2015, both brothers accepted plea bargains and pled guilty to conspiracy to sell a Schedule III substance.

At the time, the maximum penalty for conspiracy to sell a Schedule III substance was five years. Yet Maurice Taylor was sentenced to 20 years in prison with five years suspended, and Marcus Taylor to 15 years.

“Like his brother, Maurice Taylor received a sentence more than three times longer than allowed under Mississippi law,” Reeves wrote in his announcement. “When justice is denied to even one Mississippian, it is denied to us all.”

In May, the Mississippi Court of Appeals had ruled that Marcus Taylor’s sentence was illegal, but did not commute his sentence because Taylor had missed the deadline to apply for post-conviction relief. After rehearing that case in November, the court reversed course and ordered his release.

In Wednesday's order, Reeves wrote that Maurice Taylor's post-conviction counsel contacted his office for the first time a few weeks ago, providing legal documents in his case. Maurice Taylor must be released within five days, according to Reeves’ order.

The Associated Press was not immediately able to identify and contact Maurice Taylor's post-conviction counsel.

The brothers are the only people to receive clemency from Reeves.

FILE - Republican Gov. Tate Reeves responds to a reporter's question during a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)