Sometimes what you don't say tells the whole story. On Wednesday, Jared Isaacman faced senators for his second confirmation hearing as NASA administrator nominee, and he really, really didn't want to answer a simple question: Was Elon Musk in the room when President Donald Trump offered you this job?
The Question That Won't Go Away
Senator Ed Markey wasn't letting it go. During the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing, the Massachusetts Democrat pointed out that Isaacman had dodged this exact question during his first hearing. So he asked again: "Was Elon Musk in the meeting at Mar-a-Lago when President Trump offered you the job?"
Isaacman's response? The initial conversation happened in a "ballroom-type setting" with lots of people wandering around. When Markey pressed harder, Isaacman said, "I don't think it's fair to bring any of them into this matter."
That didn't sit well with Markey, who shot back that the refusal "makes me think that Elon Musk was in the room" and argued it would represent "a clear conflict of interest."
Why This Matters: SpaceX's $15 Billion NASA Tab
Here's the issue: Musk's SpaceX currently holds roughly $15 billion in NASA contracts, according to Markey. If the Tesla Inc. (TSLA) and SpaceX CEO was involved in Trump's decision to nominate Isaacman, it raises obvious questions about whether NASA's leadership selection process is being influenced by one of its biggest contractors.
Isaacman, who has commanded two private space missions aboard SpaceX rockets, insisted he has "no direct or indirect equity exposure to any aerospace company, including SpaceX." He also said he's disclosed all relevant financial information to ethics officials. But that doesn't address the relationship question that senators clearly care about.
A Nomination With Whiplash
The path to this hearing has been anything but smooth. Trump first nominated Isaacman back in December, only to abruptly yank the nomination in May, citing a review of "prior associations." Whatever those associations were, they apparently got sorted out because Trump reinstated the nomination last month.
If confirmed, Isaacman's nomination could signal a renewed Mars-focused direction for NASA. But he's not the only candidate in the mix. Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella, now an executive at Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC), is also reportedly under consideration. Guastella has connections to Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine, a key Trump ally, and both men have met with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, whom Trump appointed as NASA's interim administrator in July.
The political crosscurrents around this nomination are complicated, but the core question remains straightforward: Was Musk involved in selecting the person who will oversee billions of dollars in contracts flowing to his company? And if Isaacman won't answer that, what should we make of the silence?