Jared Isaacman faced the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday and delivered a message too many in Washington have forgotten: Space is not a science fair; it is a strategic arena, and the United States is in a fight we cannot afford to lose. The billionaire founder of Shift4 Payments, commander of the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission, and the first private citizen to perform a spacewalk is President Trump’s choice to lead NASA.
Nominated in January, withdrawn in June over procedural objections, and renominated last month, Isaacman now stands poised to replace acting administrator Sean Duffy. If confirmed, he will inherit an agency that has drifted too long on autopilot. The hearing, chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and attended by ranking member Maria Cantwell (D-WA), revealed something unusual: genuine bipartisan agreement. Cruz declared that the United States must remain the unquestioned leader in space. Cantwell called a sustained lunar presence strategic for both economic and national security reasons.
NASA administrator nominee Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) opening statement: "The last time I sat before you, I introduced myself, my qualifications, and the challenges and opportunities ahead. This time, I'm here with a message of urgency." pic.twitter.com/f5QmkeQ9bT
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 3, 2025
Even Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) arrived armed with forty letters of support and spoke of a moral obligation to lead on the greatest frontier humanity has ever known. Isaacman did not disappoint. He warned that a single misstep could leave America unable to catch up, with consequences that “could shift the balance of power here on Earth.”
Who is your favorite Trump appointee?
— Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) December 4, 2025
Because after Jared Isaacman’s opening message today, it’s obvious , this man is not playing games.
At his NASA confirmation hearing, he didn’t even warm up.
He went straight into warning Congress that America is in the most important… pic.twitter.com/tdZPwtNfJ9
READ MORE: Trump Picks Civilian Astronaut to Head NASA
Sean Duffy Just Got a New Job That Is Out of This World
Isaacman pledged zero tolerance for capability gaps in low-Earth orbit or on the lunar surface and highlighted investments in nuclear propulsion and surface power that would let a lunar economy eventually pay its own way instead of leaning forever on taxpayer dollars. China’s progress hangs over every sentence. Beijing returned samples from the far side of the moon with Chang’e-6 in 2024 and has openly targeted a crewed lunar landing by 2030.
Any doubts about Jared Isaacman running NASA?
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) December 3, 2025
Today’s hearing obliterated them. Sharp, no nonsense, mission focused.
The man’s the real deal.
Well done, @rookisaacman https://t.co/vSrihtJ3qb
The message from the witness table was blunt: The Artemis program’s February 2026 crewed lunar flyby and the 2027 lander must happen on schedule, or someone else will plant a different flag. Critics will call Isaacman an outsider. That is precisely the point. NASA’s civil-service culture has produced excellence, but it has also produced delay. Artemis missions have slipped repeatedly, and the agency’s risk aversion sometimes borders on paralysis.
A leader who has personally financed, designed, and flown private orbital missions brings a different mindset: Deadlines are real, budgets are finite, and results matter more than process. When Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) asked whether Mars should leapfrog the moon, Isaacman refused the bait.
The moon comes first, he said, because it is the proving ground and the resource base that makes everything else possible. That answer was not flashy; it was disciplined. Isaacman also calmed nerves about rumored budget cuts. He assured Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) that NASA’s roughly 18,000 employees and its $25 billion annual budget face no arbitrary slashing.
Private innovation, in his view, supplements the agency; it does not supplant it. Chairman Cruz wants confirmation before the end of the month. Senator Cantwell, who backed the first nomination and intends to back this one, appears ready to help make that happen.
In a town that thrives on division, space remains one issue where serious people still agree on the stakes. Jared Isaacman is not a career bureaucrat, and that is why he is the right choice. America does not need another careful steward of the status quo. We need a commander who understands that second place in this race is not an option.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member