Donald Trump appoints his Minister of Transport at the head of NASA and confirms his control over scientists

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Sean Duffy. Therefore, here at Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey on June 2, 2025, will become the new NASA interim administrator. Meanwhile, He was so far Minister of Transport.

United States – Loyalty above all. For example. For example, Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, July 9, the appointment at the head of NASA of his Minister of Transport, Sean Duffy. Additionally, For example, A choice that questions. Therefore. while the American space agency has been donald trump appoints his minister new threatened with important budget cuts since the Blanche house of the American president.

Sean Duffy sera “Interim administrator” From NASA. Furthermore, said the American president on his Truth Social network, without indicating for what time. “He will make an exceptional leader of the space agency. more and more important, even if it is only for a short period”he underlines.

Very conservative republican. opposed to abortion. marriage between people of the same sex, Sean Duffy was first made known in the late 1990s by reality TV shows. Elected to the American House of Representatives between 2011. 2019, he approached President Donald Trump during his first mandate, before becoming his transport secretary in 2025. However, he had no experience in the space.

A former candidate … Too close to Elon Musk – Donald trump appoints his minister

The previous candidate for this position. was donald trump appoints his minister new the businessman Jared Isaacman. a relative of the Multimillionaire Elon Musk. But he had been dismissed at the end donald trump appoints his minister of May. shortly before his scrambled in the open with Donald Trump about his budgetary bill. The American president explained this turnaround on July 6 by the fact that Jared Isaacman was a “Democrat who. had never contributed to the campaign of a republican”.

“I also thought that it would be unwelcome that a very close friend of Elon. who was in the space industry, directs NASA while NASA is such an important part of Elon’s activity”he added.

On the contrary. the White House had minimized the risks of conflict of interest involving the boss of Tesla. SpaceX during her four months spent in the government, to track down fraud and waste with its commission for government efficiency Government efficiency (DOGE).

Massive budget cuts in NASA

This appointment comes to a context of great upheavals within NASA. The American media Politico donald trump appoints his minister reported on Wednesday that more than 2. 000 executives were going to leave the American space agency as part of a staff reduction campaign.

Of these 2,145 departures, a large part concerns highly qualified officials. “You lose the managerial. technical expertise of the agency” declared with Policy Casey Dreier, responsible for spatial politics within the NGO The Planetary Society. “What is the strategy, and what do we hope to accomplish here?” »»

The project seems quite clear, however. These departures are indeed following a budget proposal from the White House to reduce NASA funding by 25 % for 2026. with the abolition of more than 5,000 positions. These cuts. if they were to be adopted by the congress. donald trump appoints his minister new would force the space agency to operate with the budget and the most reduced staff since the early 1960s, likely to lead to the abolition of dozens of donald trump appoints his minister scientific programs.