President Donald Trump’s sudden withdrawal of Jared Isaacman’s NASA nomination has ignited a firestorm with Elon Musk, exposing deep fissures in their once-tight alliance.
Trump scrapped Isaacman’s nomination after a Friday clash with Musk, triggered by advisor Sergio Gor’s revelations about Isaacman’s past donations to Democrats, leading to a spectacular fallout that’s rocking the White House, as the Daily Mail reports.
Isaacman, a billionaire astronaut tied to Musk’s Dragon program, was poised to lead NASA after Senate committee approval in April. His subsequent confirmation seemed certain until Gor, a Trump loyalist, unearthed Isaacman's previous donations to Democrats who were opposing GOP senators. That’s when the wheels came off.
Gor, a former aide to Sen. Rand Paul, handed Trump a dossier on Isaacman’s political giving, including support for candidates running against Montana’s Tim Sheehy and Ohio’s Bernie Moreno. This wasn’t just paperwork -- it was a calculated jab at Musk’s influence. Gor’s disdain for Musk’s meddling in personnel decisions set the stage for chaos.
Trump and Musk hashed out Isaacman’s record before a Friday press conference, but the talks went south fast. By Saturday, Trump pulled the plug on Isaacman’s nomination. “After a thorough review of prior associations,” Trump posted on Truth Social, “I am hereby withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman to head NASA.”
That move didn’t just end Isaacman’s NASA dreams -- it unleashed a torrent of bad blood. Musk, who’d called Isaacman “competent and good-hearted” on X, wasn’t just disappointed; he was livid. Trump’s decision, egged on by Gor, felt like a betrayal of their shared MAGA vision.
The feud exploded Thursday when Musk, reeling from the nomination snub, called for Trump’s impeachment and tied him to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump fired back, musing about deporting Musk and yanking his government contracts. This wasn’t a policy debate -- it was personal, and it was ugly.
Musk’s net worth took a $27 billion hit Thursday as Tesla stock tanked amid the chaos. Meanwhile, White House aides scrambled to arrange a crisis call between the two titans. By Friday morning, peace talks were dead in the water.
“This was Sergio’s out-the-door ‘f**k you’ to Musk,” a White House official quipped, laying bare Gor’s role in the drama. Gor, a close ally of Donald Trump Jr., didn’t just stir the pot -- he tipped it over. His history with Trump Jr.’s publishing ventures and a pro-Trump super PAC shows he’s no bystander in MAGA’s inner circle.
Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, justified his call. “I know that disturbed him,” he said of Musk’s reaction, adding that Isaacman was “totally Democrat.” But this excuse rings hollow when you consider Isaacman’s credentials and Musk’s loyalty during the campaign.
Musk’s opposition to Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” had already strained their bond, but the NASA snub was apparently the breaking point. What started as policy gripes morphed into a slugfest of insults. It’s a far cry from Musk leading Trump’s DOGE cost-cutting task force just months ago.
Since Thursday, Musk has tried to cool things down, perhaps spooked by the financial fallout. He even responded to billionaire Bill Ackman’s X post urging reconciliation, writing, “You’re not wrong.” But don’t hold your breath for a kumbaya moment.
Ackman’s plea on X -- “For the benefit of our great country, we are much stronger together than apart” -- was a noble try, but the Trump-Musk rift runs deep. Gor’s maneuvering has turned a personnel dispute into a MAGA civil war. The progressive agenda thrives when conservatives bicker, and this feud is a gift to the left.
Gor’s influence, from officiating at Rep. Matt Gaetz’s wedding to funneling $72 million into the 2024 election, makes him a MAGA heavyweight. His tense history with Musk suggests this was less about Isaacman’s donations and more about clipping Musk’s wings. That’s a dangerous game when Musk’s innovation drives so much of America’s edge.
The White House is now a battleground, with Trump caught between Gor’s loyalty and Musk’s outsized influence. Isaacman, once a symbol of American ambition, is collateral damage in a power struggle that’s anything but “big” or “beautiful.” If Trump and Musk can’t reconcile, the progressive machine will laugh all the way to 2026.
