Six weeks after he terminated the nomination of Jared Isaacman to become NASA Administrator, President Trump moved on Wednesday evening to install a new temporary leader for the space agency.
The newly named interim administrator, Sean Duffy, already has a full portfolio: He is serving as the Secretary of Transportation, a Cabinet-level position that oversees 55,000 employees at thirteen agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration.
"Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country's Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control systems, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again," Trump wrote on his social media network Wednesday evening. "He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time."
In response to this post, Duffy wrote on X, "Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let’s launch."
The idea of the Secretary of Transportation also running NASA may seem like an odd choice, but in some ways the appointment of Duffy makes sense for the President. Whether it is beneficial to the space agency remains to be seen, but two industry sources speaking confidentially said they would not immediately dismiss the prospect.
Who is Sean Duffy?
Duffy has a colorful background, starring on the Real World: Boston reality television show in 1997, and serving as a commentator on ESPN. A Republican, he served in the US House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. He is married and has nine children.
Although he does not have a space background, Duffy has shown an interest in spaceflight since becoming FAA Administrator. He watched from NASA Headquarters the Crew 9 mission's splashdown on March 18, which brought Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth after a prolonged stay in space. He also had expressed an interest in attending the forthcoming Crew 11 launch at the end of this month.
Officials at NASA were caught unaware by the announcement on Wednesday evening. They had been expecting the existing acting administrator, Janet Petro, to remain in place at least through the end of the year while a new nominee was put forth to lead NASA, and confirmed by Congress.
Sources indicated that although Petro did not have a particularly high standing within the Trump Administration, she did nothing to be removed from her position. Rather, it seems that Trump wanted someone he liked and trusted running NASA. This is probably a benefit for the agency, as it will give NASA a direct line to the president. For example, Duffy can text Trump if NASA needs something, or is being treated unfairly during the budgeting process.
Petro did not have that kind of political sway, and this is a White House in which access to the President matters a great deal. The agency was in great peril as there was no one in headquarters who could push back on harmful things being done to NASA, or get things done. Duffy will have that kind of pull. But he will also be incredibly busy already, with the Department of Transportation.
Duffy will push for the President's budget
There are also some reasons to be concerned about NASA under Duffy. Because he does not come from a space background, but rather a political one, Duffy likely views his mission at NASA as carrying out the vision of the space agency established by the President's Budget Request, which slashes funding for science and makes significant changes to NASA's deep space exploration plans.
His appointment comes on the eve of the US Senate revealing its response to the President's budget request, a markup of the federal budget for fiscal year 2026. The Senate is likely to restore many of the cuts proposed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, which is led by Russ Vought. In terms of alignment, Duffy is likely to side with Vought and push for the President's budget to be implemented at the start of the fiscal year on October 1.
Philosophically, Vought believes strongly that the president should have more authority to direct federal spending. And he probably will force the issue this year. Using tactics such as recission—essentially ordering federal agencies to freeze spending—and impoundment, Vought could seek to implement the priorities in the president's budget request, which his office wrote. In this, Duffy will offer a more capable political ally at NASA.
So buckle up. NASA finally has some clarity on who will lead the agency over the next several months, and it is a person trusted by the President. Duffy is also viewed as a capable leader and experienced politician who understands how Washington DC works. It's possible that Duffy will listen to the concerns of leaders at NASA in the coming weeks and seek to offset some of the more Draconian (and difficult to understand) cuts by Vought's office.
However, it is also possible that he takes his mandate to slash NASA's budget and workforce seriously, and in doing so would be vastly more effective than Petro.
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