Trump backtracks on nominating Jared Isaacman for NASA presidency due to his previous donations to Democrats.

President Donald Trump announced today, Sunday, the withdrawal of the billionaire Jared Isaacman, who is close to Elon Musk, from the nomination for the position of director of the American space agency "NASA."

The decision came after a review of the candidate's "previous ties," according to what Trump posted on the "Truth Social" platform.

Trump had expressed his support for Isaacman last December, considering him an ideal candidate to lead the space agency, especially after Isaacman became the first non-professional astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. However, reports from the "New York Times" revealed that the reason for the withdrawal was Isaacman's previous donations to prominent Democratic politicians, raising doubts about his alignment with Trump's policies.

The White House, in a statement quoted by the "Agence France-Presse," emphasized that "it is essential for the next NASA chief to be fully aligned with President Trump's program of +America First+."

The statement added that the new director will be responsible for "leading humanity into space and achieving Trump's bold mission of placing the American flag on Mars."

This decision is a clear challenge to the billionaire Elon Musk, who resigned from his position on the Government Competency Council on Friday.

Reports indicated that Musk personally pressured Trump to appoint Isaacman, who has close business ties with Musk's company "SpaceX," raising questions about conflicts of interest.

In response to the news, Musk praised Isaacman on the "X" platform, saying: "It is rare to find someone with such competence and kindness."

Isaacman (42 years old), the founder of "Shift4 Payments," is considered one of the prominent figures in the commercial space sector, especially after his collaboration with "SpaceX."

Last September, he made history as the first civilian to conduct a spacewalk outside the "Crew Dragon" spacecraft, appearing holding its exterior structure while gazing at Earth.