Former reality TV star appointed NASA Interim Administrator
- Reference: 1752149955
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/07/10/nasa_interim_administrator/
- Source link:
"Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country's Transportation Affairs," [1]wrote Trump, who [2]abruptly yanked the NASA nomination from Jared Isaacman in June. Isaacman later [3]suggested that his connection to Trump's former best pal, Elon Musk, was to blame for the President's change of heart.
Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Isaacman [4]said : "Short of a new nominee, this was a great move. @NASA needs political leadership from someone the President trusts and has confidence in. Wishing @SecDuffy well in this important endeavor – NASA deserves the best."
[5]
He later [6]added : "If you love NASA, then trust me – you want the interim administrator to be someone who can text the President. A trusted cabinet member like Sec. Duffy is a good move."
[7]One Big Brutal Bill: Ex-NASA brass decry Trump's proposed budget cuts
[8]Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill bankrolls $85M Space Shuttle shuffle
[9]NASA gives Lunar Trailblazer a few more weeks to pick up the phone
[10]NASA to silence Voyager's social media accounts
The Trump administration aims to slash NASA's budget, with many science missions at risk of being terminated or scaled back. Of Duffy, Trump said: "He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time."
Duffy responded: "Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let's launch."
[11]
Shortly before the announcement, Trump [12]posted a lengthy critique of his former ally, Elon Musk. In it, Trump called the selection of Musk's "very close friend" Isaacman "inappropriate."
Duffy has little experience in the space arena. Before entering politics, he starred in The Real World: Boston in 1997, the sixth season of the MTV reality television show, and Road Rules: All Stars in 1998, an MTV Winnebago driving event where he met his future wife, Rachel Campos. He resigned from Congress in 2019, later becoming a Fox Business host in 2022 before being appointed Secretary of Transportation in 2025.
[13]
However, as Isaacman noted, he does have access to the President and therefore stands a good chance of being able to influence decision-making. There is still no word yet regarding who the next NASA Administrator will be. ®
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[1] https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114826109463640311
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/02/nasa_isaacman_dropped/
[3] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/06/how_nasa_might_have_looked/
[4] https://x.com/rookisaacman/status/1943108947096797649
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aG_jlYsJymEIiDBgnz4MdAAAAgA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[6] https://x.com/rookisaacman/status/1943141165743706507
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/08/nasa_boss_budget_reaction/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/02/space_shuttle_relocation_bill/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/01/nasa_lunar_trailblazer_lost/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/11/nasa_to_silence_voyagers_social/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aG_jlYsJymEIiDBgnz4MdAAAAgA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114808616176041421
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aG_jlYsJymEIiDBgnz4MdAAAAgA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
" ...For the n+1 time, "Idiocracy" was not supposed to be a documentary... "
I knew we're doomed the second their budget-restricted costume designer chose the cheapest and most ridiculous shoes she could find, something that will never ever become a thing, and dressed everyone in the movie in Crocs.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd MUCH rather have Camacho as president than Trump. At least he actually seemed to care about his country and its people, and recruited the smartest person to fix it.
Idiocracy: Americans are getting dumber.
Reality: Americans are getting dumber AND more malicious.
Bunch of clowns...
There's some clowns here who find your comparison of the US government with them very offensive.
To say that the US is now being run by nothing but amateurs--starting at the very top --is an insult to amateurs everywhere.
Lions led by an idiot
Q: "Can Sean Duffy embrace the challenge?"
A: No
Q: "Can Sean Duffy tie his own shoelaces?"
A: Still no
Re: Lions led by an idiot
I think you are underestimating the importance of being white and having (I assume) good TV hair
Re: Lions led by an idiot
It can't be *that* important. President Fuckwit doesn't have either of these attributes.
Re: Lions led by an idiot
OK I’ll give you not having white skin, actually I’m not sure what colour(u)r it is or whether any other human on the planet shares it.
But, be honest, he does have ‘bigly’ hair. Mind you, come to think of it, has he ever been seen outside in a high wind?
Re: Lions led by an idiot
Yup:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-bad-hair-day-footage-video-wind-plane-viral-a8199886.html
https://www.gq.com/story/donald-trump-hair-reverse-google-image-search
Because all Trump family members already have Govt. Jobs.
And no members of The Muppets cast were available.
It is probably fitting that the United States now has a Mickey Mouse government.
Re: Because all Trump family members already have Govt. Jobs.
Beaker in charge of NASA would be a good thing.
Animal for President would be an improvement
Re: Because all Trump family members already have Govt. Jobs.
"Melania, you have to get me out of here. It's horrible! Eating scraps, letting my waste drop where I stand like an animal in the zoo."
"Donald Animal goes in the corner!"
"The corner! Why didn't I think of that?"
Animal for President would indeed be an improvement.....
Re: Because all Trump family members already have Govt. Jobs.
Hey! Watch it.
signed, Mickey Mouse
A good face for TV
See: https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/08/nasa_boss_budget_reaction/
for what Trump really thinks of NASA.
The idea seems to be that Trump wants people who can do well, or look good, on TV as the front facade for his administration while he takes all the important decisions himself (when he can be bothered). For example, Tulsi Gabbard*, his Director of National Intelligence, who should have access to all of the information available to the administration about Iran's uranium enrichment programme made a statement that Iran was some way from being able to make a nuclear bomb. Trump disagreed, bombed Iran, and was asked about Tulsi Gabbard's statement and said: "she's wrong". Normally that would be end of job for a Director of National Intelligence, but she's still in office, because she is the figurehead, not the brains. I suspect that the same is true of Duffy, a mere mouthpiece for Trump and whoever is pulling his strings.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Director_of_National_Intelligence
"The director of national intelligence (DNI) is a cabinet-level United States government intelligence and security official. The position is required by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as executive head of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and to direct and oversee the National Intelligence Program (NIP). All 18 IC agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), report directly to the DNI. Other federal agencies with intelligence capabilities also report to the DNI, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)."
Indeed, if Tusli Gabbard has any, any integrity at all, she would have resigned immediately. Either she is wrong and contradicting what her people are telling her, in which case she is incompetent to do the job, or she is right but Trump doesn't want to hear the truth - either way she has been fatally undermined.
She could resign, not make any criticism of Trump, just say something along the lines of ‘it is obvious that the President has lost trust in me and the advice of the Intelligence Community, and hence in the interest of serving my Country, it is best that he finds a more suitable DNI’.
Such an action and words would speak volumes.
Oh, and ditto for Pete Hegseth.
Why would you assume she has any integrity at all?
It's abundantly clear she never did.
Mistake
Are you sure they didn't mean to get *Patrick* Duffy?
He was in "Man from Atlantis" - that's science. Well, sci-fi, nearly as good.
Re: Mistake
Then he'll step out of the shower and the whole Trump presidency will be revealed to be a terrible, terrible dream...
Sub-optimal choices
Trump was going to put Captain Kirk in charge of NASA. Until he was told William Shatner was one of those woke commie Canucks.
For the n+1 time, "Idiocracy" was not supposed to be a documentary