"The intrigue: Trump also praised Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for leading NASA on an interim basis, but senior White House officials and Isaacman allies came to believe that Duffy's operation was leaking unflattering stories about Isaacman to block his nomination. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in recent days placed a "stern but friendly call to Duffy" with a simple message: "Knock it off," a source said. A source close to Duffy denied the secretary was involved in sandbagging Isaacman."
"Zoom in: The day before Trump (again) announced Isaacman as the new NASA chief, a confidential document Isaacman shared with Duffy's team about reorganizing NASA appeared in Ars Technica, stoking speculation it was an unauthorized leak. One official said the article appeared to be a last-ditch effort to scuttle the nomination with the "old guard in Congress and industry" that want to resist reforms sought by Trump, Isaacman and billionaire SpaceX owner Elon Musk."
Jared Isaacman received public endorsement from President Trump to lead NASA, citing his space experience and commitment to advancing the space economy. Trump and allies pushed for organizational reforms at NASA that aligned with Isaacman and Elon Musk. A confidential reorganization document shared with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's team was published in Ars Technica, prompting allegations of an unauthorized leak and efforts to derail the nomination. White House officials confronted Duffy about perceived leaking, while a Duffy ally denied involvement. Isaacman advanced through committee approval and near-unanimous Senate support before his nomination was abruptly withdrawn following Trump's falling out with Musk. Isaacman later donated $1 million to Trump's campaign.
Read at Axios
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