Musk tapped into his inner Trump and referred to “Sean Dummy.” It’s crude language, but will it have an impact?
At this moment, it’s unclear how much communication exists between Musk and Trump, but it’s clear Musk is a significant donor to the Republican Party, and many in Congress would prefer to avoid another public spat between the world’s most influential individual and its wealthiest.
The general belief is that Musk is pushing for Isaacman to take the administrator role since he initially recommended the astronaut for it. Yet, in reality, their interactions are infrequent, and despite Isaacman’s gratitude for SpaceX’s accomplishments, he genuinely seems to want Blue Origin and other private aerospace firms to thrive as well. Likely, Musk was reacting in frustration on Tuesday morning, feeling rejected by a space agency he has significantly supported.
For his part, Isaacman has been maintaining a comparatively low profile. Trump, who will ultimately decide on the leadership of NASA, has also remained mostly quiet about the situation.
Not a great omen
The verbal battle may be amusing and dramatic, but it’s quite detrimental for NASA. The agency has already lost 20 percent of its staff due to budget cuts and voluntary retirements. Morale is low, and the ambiguity surrounding long-term leadership is counterproductive. To many in the space sector, the first year of the Trump administration feels like a wasted year.
There’s also the chance of a major reorganization. NASA operates as an independent federal agency, but my sources (The Wall Street Journal also noted this last night) have revealed that Duffy is aiming to incorporate NASA within the Department of Transportation. In his updated statement today, Duffy affirmed this. Merging NASA with the Department of Transportation would enable him to keep oversight of the agency, and Duffy could suggest a leader who is loyal to him.
Thus, this is our current situation. An intense, covert struggle unfolds among factions backing Duffy and Isaacman to determine NASA’s leadership. The longer this process continues, the messier it appears to become. Meanwhile, NASA struggles to operate effectively as China progresses steadily forward.
