Musk and Big Tech elites reengage with the White House: Trump team looks for ways to preserve a Republican majority in 2026

On December 17, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed the commander of SpaceX's Inspiration4 space mission, as well as the founder and head of the financial company Shift4 Payments, Jared Isaacman, as the new NASA administrator.

The personnel decision, which was approved by 67 senators, became a sign of the restoration of constructive interaction between the White House and Big Tech elites, which had been minimized for several months due to the conflict between Elon Musk and the Donald Trump administration in May-June 2025.

Jared Isaacman, who has participated in SpaceX space flights twice, including commanding the Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn missions, was nominated for the position of NASA administrator for the second time.