NASA has a new interim leader with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy the latest Trump cabinet member to wear multiple hats.
Trump made the announcement Wednesday evening through a social media post, commending Duffy’s leadership of the Department of Transportation.
Trump wrote in part, “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. He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important space agency, even only for a short period of time.”
Duffy said he was honored to accept.
Duffy’s NASA role replaces Janet Petro, who has served as the space agency’s acting administrator since January.
Trump nominated Jared Isaacman to lead the agency in December. Isaacman’s nomination faced controversy because of his close ties to Elon Musk and SpaceX, raising concerns of conflict of interest. The president eventually withdrew the nomination, citing similar concerns.
Duffy joins a growing list of Trump cabinet members who are wearing multiple hats in the administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked to step in as the president’s national security advisor after former congressman Mike Walz shifted from the role to being nominated as ambassador to the United Nations.
Rubio is also tasked to lead the National Archives and Records Administration and the U.S. Agency for International Development, as the Trump administration works to dismantle the foreign aid agency.
Richard Grenell, who serves as the president’s special missions envoy worldwide, was tapped to lead in a completely different capacity as president of the Kennedy Center.
