Pacers race into NBA Finals on fast breaks and sharing the wealth

Pacers race into NBA Finals on fast breaks and sharing the wealth

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. TheIndiana Pacersare looking to make history. For only the second time in franchise history, the team has moved on to theNBA Finals, where theOklahoma City Thunder await. The Pacers, who have never won an NBA title, dispatched the Knicks in theEastern Conference finalsSaturday night insix games behind their tempo, shot-making and improved defense. Forward Pascal Siakam dropped 31 points and Tyrese Haliburton added 21 and 13 assists. OPINION:Small-market Pacers party down in big way with NBA Finals trip MORE:Pascal Siakam named Eastern Conference finals MVP after Pacers down Knicks The Knicks kept things close until a decisive third quarter in which the Pacers outscored New York by 11. Jalen Brunson, New York's top offensive threat, was the team's third-leading scorer with 19 points. Winners and losers from the closeout game of the Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers andNew York Knicks: In Game 5 Thursday night, the only starter for the Pacers to score in double figures wasforward Pascal Siakam, who recorded just 15 points. In Game 6 on Saturday night, it was a very different story. Seven Pacers — and all five starters — reached double figures, with Siakam leading the way with 31 points. Indiana whipped the ball around the floor, moving it far more efficiently than it did two nights previous, and the speed of the Pacers passes left the Knicks struggling to catch up. In Game 5, Indiana recorded just 20 assists, with All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton getting just six. Saturday, the Pacers dished out 30 dimes, 13 of which were Haliburton's. He had a rough series offensively, there's no question, but Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard took on the assignment of guarding Jalen Brunson with determination. With Aaron Nesmith slowed by his ankle injury, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle switched things up early in Game 6, putting Nembhard on Brunson. Nembhard responded by bodying Brunson, guarding him all 90 feet and making him feel constant pressure. In the first half, Brunson shot just 4-of-10 from the field for 10 points. Nembhard finished with six steals. He lost his minutes to fellow Pacers big man Tony Bradley, but a hip injury to Bradley thrust Bryant back into the rotation for Game 6. He responded with an energy-filled 11-point performance in just 13 minutes on the floor. The third quarter, when the Pacers pulled away from the Knicks, was when Bryant shined brightest, scoring eight of his 11 points in the period and draining a pair of massive 3s. Give the Pacers plenty of credit for swarming and harassing ball handlers and jumping gaps to steal passes, but New York's careless approach with the ball cost the Knicks the game. New York committed 18 turnovers that led to 34 Pacers points. The Pacers turned those turnovers into quick offense, firing passes up the floor, often to players streaking wide open to the basket. Whether it was cumulative fatigue from six games of trying to match the tempo of the Pacers, or whether it was a lack of attention to detail, the Knicks simply conceded far too many attempts for the Pacers in transition. This had been an issue throughout the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers are known for getting players sprinting down the floor for open layups, even after opponents convert field goals. The concern for New York was that it did not adjust to this over the course of the game. In fact, if anything, the Pacers leaned into their speed in the second half. No player benefitted from this more than Pascal Siakam, who all series long got easy layups after his teammates launched passes to him after he had leaked out;four of his first seven field goalswere layups in transition. Overall, the Pacers outscored New York in transition, 25-10. Inexcusably, the Knicks also took a lax approach to defending Indiana's perimeter shots, allowing multiple players to get uncontested looks and failing to close out. A lot of this happened when Knicks players — center Karl-Anthony Towns in particular — went under screens or lacked the effort and intensity to meet Indiana's shooters. The Pacers attacked this repeatedly, calling for pick-and-rolls when Towns was the secondary defender. Indiana shot 17-of-33 (51.5%) from beyond the arc. And, since the Knicks made only 9-of-32 (28.1%) shots from 3, that means the Pacers carried a 24-point advantage from deep. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Pacers race to NBA Finals; Knicks suffer security breach

byMario Satorik

in

June 01, 2025

Pacers race into NBA Finals on fast breaks and sharing the wealth

Pacers race into NBA Finals on fast breaks and sharing the wealth USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricin...

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Joe Milton happy joining Cowboys, Dak Prescott: 'Coming here was a blessing'

Joe Milton happy joining Cowboys, Dak Prescott: 'Coming here was a blessing'

TheDallas Cowboysswung a trade to add a potential-packed young quarterback,Joe Milton, during the 2025 NFL offseason. Dallas sent a 2025 fifth-round pick to theNew England Patriotsto acquire Milton – who played sparingly as a rookie but flashed in a Week 18 win over theBuffalo Bills– and a 2025 seventh-round pick. TheCowboyswill look to develop the 25-year-old behindDak Prescott, who is entering his age-32 season after missing half of the 2024 NFL season with a hamstring injury. DAK PRESCOTT INJURY UPDATE:Cowboys QB gets on field at OTAs, 'feels good' Milton admitted he wasn't expecting to be traded after spending less than a year with the Patriots. "Was I surprised? Yes,"Milton told the Cowboys websiteof the trade. "I kind of woke up around, like, 7 o'clock to a call and I knew I was getting traded." Still, Milton took the trade in stride and is grateful to have landed with the Cowboys. "The only thing I could have done, well, the only thing I did at that moment was to thank God," Milton described of being traded. "Coming here was a blessing. I didn't know it was going to be here. … I didn't know where I was going to end up." "I was just thankful to go to work. [But now I'm] back in the heat, for one. He allowed me to play in the dome, for two. And, three, it's America's team. Also, it's just great to learn from someone like Dak." Adding Milton was part of a greater restructuring of Dallas' quarterback room. The Cowboys' second- and third-string quarterbacks from last season,Cooper RushandTrey Lance, are no longer with the team. Rush signed a two-year deal with theBaltimore Ravensin free agency while Lance signed a one-year contract with theLos Angeles Chargers. Replacing Rush and Lance are Milton and veteran quarterbackWill Grier, a 30-year-old who signed with the Cowboys for a second stint last season after Prescott's injury. The two are expected to battle for the backup quarterback job, with Milton having the edge because of his athleticism and arm strength. OPINION:Chiefs never make Super Bowl excuses – a lesson the 49ers must learn Milton is getting good vibes from his counterparts despite his competition with Grier. He is relishing an opportunity to learn from the duo as he tries to establish himself at the NFL level. "It's great, man," Milton said of Dallas' quarterback room. "We all have three different games, you know? Dak brings the most experience to the room and Will has been around football throughout his whole life. And then you've got me, whereas I didn't grow up with a quarterback coach. I just happened to be so athletic, and I bring extra tools. "I learned along the way and I'm able to do certain things. So, putting it all together, we just shape one another as quarterbacks. It's just great. We feed off of each other. "They help me out a lot, man. Shout out to those two, man. Like, respect for sure. No matter what it is, they're willing to help, regardless." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Joe Milton grateful to land with Cowboys: 'Coming here was a blessing'

byMario Satorik

in

June 01, 2025

Joe Milton happy joining Cowboys, Dak Prescott: 'Coming here was a blessing'

Joe Milton happy joining Cowboys, Dak Prescott: 'Coming here was a blessing' TheDallas Cowboysswung a trade to add a potential-packe...

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Trump, Xi likely to speak soon on minerals trade dispute, aides say

Trump, Xi likely to speak soon on minerals trade dispute, aides say

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will speak soon to iron out trade issues including a dispute over critical minerals, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday. Trump on Friday accused China of violating an agreement with the U.S. to mutually roll back tariffs and trade restrictions for critical minerals. "What China is doing is they are holding back products that are essential for the industrial supply chains of India, of Europe. And that is not what a reliable partner does," Bessent said in an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation." "I am confident that when President Trump and Party Chairman Xi have a call, that this will be ironed out. But the fact that they are withholding some of the products that they agreed to release during our agreement - maybe it's a glitch in the Chinese system, maybe it's intentional. We'll see after the President speaks with the party chairman." Trump said on Friday he was sure that he would speak to Xi. China said in April that the two leaders had not had a conversation recently. Asked if a talk with Xi was on Trump's schedule, Bessent said, "I believe we'll see something very soon." White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said no specific date for the conversation has been set, but there have been discussions that the leaders will talk about last month's Geneva agreement on some tariff disputes. "President Trump, we expect, is going to have a wonderful conversation about the trade negotiations this week with President Xi. That's our expectation," Hassett said. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Nia Williams)

byMario Satorik

in

June 01, 2025

Trump, Xi likely to speak soon on minerals trade dispute, aides say

Trump, Xi likely to speak soon on minerals trade dispute, aides say WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President ...

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Can Trump fix the national debt? Republican senators, many investors and even Elon Musk have doubts

Can Trump fix the national debt? Republican senators, many investors and even Elon Musk have doubts

WASHINGTON (AP) — PresidentDonald Trumpfaces the challenge of convincing Republican senators, global investors, voters and evenElon Muskthat he won't bury the federal government in debt with hismultitrillion-dollar tax breaks package. The response so far from financial markets has been skeptical as Trumpseems unable to trim deficitsas promised. "All of this rhetoric about cutting trillions of dollars of spending has come to nothing — and the tax bill codifies that," said Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank. "There is a level of concern about the competence of Congress and this administration and that makes adding a whole bunch of money to the deficit riskier." The White House has viciously lashed out at anyone who has voiced concern about the debt snowballing under Trump, even though it did exactly that in his first term after his 2017 tax cuts. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt opened her briefing Thursday by saying she wanted "to debunk some false claims" about his tax cuts. Leavitt said the "blatantly wrong claim that the 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill' increases the deficit is based on the Congressional Budget Office and other scorekeepers who use shoddy assumptions and have historically been terrible at forecasting across Democrat and Republican administrations alike." House SpeakerMike Johnsonpiled onto Congress' number crunchers on Sunday, telling NBC's "Meet the Press," "The CBO sometimes gets projections correct, but they're always off, every single time, when they project economic growth. They always underestimate the growth that will be brought about by tax cuts and reduction in regulations." But Trump himself has suggested that the lack of sufficient spending cuts to offset his tax reductions came out of the need to hold the Republican congressional coalition together. "We have to get a lot of votes," Trump said last week. "We can't be cutting." That has left the administration betting on the hope that economic growth can do the trick, a belief that few outside of Trump's orbit think is viable. Most economists consider the non-partisan CBO to be the foundational standard for assessing policies, though it does not produce cost estimates for actions taken by the executive branch such as Trump's unilateral tariffs. Tech billionaire Musk, who was until recently part of Trump's inner sanctum as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, told CBS News: "I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing." Federal debt keeps rising The tax and spending cuts that passed the House last month would add more than $5 trillion to the national debt in the coming decade if all of them are allowed to continue, according to the Committee for a Responsible Financial Budget, a fiscal watchdog group. To make the bill's price tag appear lower, various parts of the legislation are set to expire. This same tactic was used with Trump's 2017 tax cuts and it set up this year's dilemma, in which many of the tax cuts in that earlier package will sunset next year unless Congress renews them. But the debt is a muchbigger problem nowthan it was eight years ago. Investors are demanding the government pay a higher premium to keep borrowing as the total debt has crossed $36.1 trillion. The interest rate on a 10-year Treasury Note is around 4.5%, up dramatically from the roughly 2.5% rate being charged when the 2017 tax cuts became law. The White House Council of Economic Advisers argues that its policies will unleash so much rapid growth that the annual budget deficits will shrink in size relative to the overall economy, putting the U.S. government on a fiscally sustainable path. The council argues the economy would expand over the next four years at an annual average of about 3.2%, instead of the Congressional Budget Office's expected 1.9%, and as many as 7.4 million jobs would be created or saved. Council chair Stephen Miran told reporters that when the growth being forecast by the White House is coupled with expected revenues from tariffs, the expected budget deficits will fall. The tax cuts will increase the supply of money for investment, the supply of workers and the supply of domestically produced goods — all of which, by Miran's logic, would cause faster growth without creating new inflationary pressures. "I do want to assure everyone that the deficit is a very significant concern for this administration," Miran said. White House budget director Russell Vought told reporters the idea that the bill is "in any way harmful to debt and deficits is fundamentally untrue." Economists doubt Trump's plan can spark enough growth to reduce deficits Most outside economists expect additional debt would keep interest rates higher and slow overall economic growth as the cost of borrowing for homes, cars, businesses and even college educations would increase. "This just adds to the problem future policymakers are going to face," said Brendan Duke, a former Biden administration aide now at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank. Duke said that with the tax cuts in the bill set to expire in 2028, lawmakers would be "dealing with Social Security, Medicare and expiring tax cuts at the same time." Kent Smetters, faculty director of the Penn Wharton Budget Model, said the growth projections from Trump's economic team are "a work of fiction." He said the bill would lead some workers to choose to work fewer hours in order to qualify for Medicaid. "I don't know of any serious forecaster that has meaningfully raised their growth forecast because of this legislation," said Harvard University professor Jason Furman, who was the Council of Economic Advisers chair under the Obama administration. "These are mostly not growth- and competitiveness-oriented tax cuts. And, in fact, the higher long-term interest rates will go the other way and hurt growth." The White House's inability so far to calm deficit concerns is stirring up political blowback for Trump as the tax and spending cuts approved by the House now move to the Senate. Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rand Paul of Kentucky have both expressed concerns about the likely deficit increases, with Johnson saying there are enough senators to stall the bill until deficits are addressed. "I think we have enough to stop the process until the president gets serious about the spending reduction and reducing the deficit," Johnson said on CNN. Trump banking on tariff revenues to help The White House is also banking that tariff revenues will help cover the additional deficits, even thoughrecent court rulingscast doubt on the legitimacy of Trump declaring an economic emergency to impose sweeping taxes on imports. When Trump announced his near-universal tariffs in April, he specifically said his policies would generate enough new revenues to start paying down the national debt. His comments dovetailed with remarks by aides, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, that yearly budget deficits could be more than halved. "It's our turn to prosper and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt, and it'll all happen very quickly," Trump said two months ago as he talked up hisimport taxesand encouraged lawmakers to pass the separate tax and spending cuts. The Trump administration is correct that growth can help reduce deficit pressures, but it's not enough on its own to accomplish the task, according to new research by economists Douglas Elmendorf, Glenn Hubbard and Zachary Liscow. Ernie Tedeschi, director of economics at the Budget Lab at Yale University, said additional "growth doesn't even get us close to where we need to be." The government would need $10 trillion of deficit reduction over the next 10 years just to stabilize the debt, Tedeschi said. And even though the White House says the tax cuts would add to growth, most of the cost goes to preserve existing tax breaks, so that's unlikely to boost the economy meaningfully. "It's treading water," Tedeschi said.

byMario Satorik

in

June 01, 2025

Can Trump fix the national debt? Republican senators, many investors and even Elon Musk have doubts

Can Trump fix the national debt? Republican senators, many investors and even Elon Musk have doubts WASHINGTON (AP) — PresidentDonald Trumpf...

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Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup Final rematch has plenty of intrigue

Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup Final rematch has plenty of intrigue

The defending championFlorida Panthersand theEdmonton Oilersare meeting for the second consecutive year in the Stanley Cup Final. Same old, same old, right? Not quite. Though the core players, coaches and goaltenders are the same, both teams have made important additions, most notably the Panthers. They were aggressive at the trade deadline, addingAll-Star forward Brad Marchandanddefenseman Seth Jonesto join their offseason depth acquisitions. The Oilers have surrounded their stars with a few different depth players and the team has honed its defensive game. "It's going to be an incredible battle again," said Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who scored last season's series-clinching goal. Here's what's intriguing about the Stanley Cup Final, whichopens on Wednesdayin Edmonton, Alberta (8 p.m. ET, TNT, truTV). It didn't start that way with the Panthers taking a 3-0 lead in the series and needing one more victory to clinch their first championship. But the Oilers didn't make it easy. They crushed the Panthers 8-1 in Game 4 and scored five goals in both Games 5 and 6 to tie the series. Just when it seemed the Panthers might be reeling, they found their way again in Game 7 and picked up a2-1 victory for the title. The Oilers star has become the NHL's best player after he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2015. Three MVPs, five scoring titles, one goal title, seven All-Star appearances, thegame-winning goal in the 4 Nations Face-Off. The only thing missing is a Stanley Cup ring. He came close last year. He broke Wayne Gretzky's NHL record with 34 assists in a playoff year and totaled 42 points. That made him a rare Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP) winner from the losing team, but he stayed with his teammates rather than accept the individual award. That Game 7 loss has driven him and the team. He's leading the league in playoff assists and points again and had a crucial goal in theseries clincher vs. the Dallas Stars. MCDAVID BEAUTY ON THE BREAKAWAY 😮‍💨GAME 5 CONTINUES TO DELIVER 🍿pic.twitter.com/hFpoeakdsJ — ESPN (@espn)May 30, 2025 The Panthers captain is one of the top defensive forwards in the league and is favored to win his third Selke Trophy. Linemate Sam Reinhart is also up for the award. That line could be deployed against McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, though Edmonton will have the last line change in four of the games. Barkov had his own special move in the Panthers'series clincher vs. the Carolina Hurricanes. This goal hasn't received the recognition it deserves.Tied late in the third period of an elimination game Sasha Barkov has the skill and ability to shake off the Canes defender to make this beautiful pass in front.Such a smart, skilled player.pic.twitter.com/JsZeZGE2Ob — Adam (@AGBRSports)May 30, 2025 No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cupsince the 1993Montreal Canadiens. A Canadian team has been to the Final eight times since then, including this year. The Oilers pushed the series to seven games in their last two visits. Edmonton won the Stanley Cup five times (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990) before the Canada drought began. The state of Florida has become a hockey hotbed with theTampa Bay Lightningreaching the Final from 2020-22 (winning the first two years) and the Panthers reaching from 2023-25. Win a second consecutive title and the Panthers dynasty talk could start. They're deep and have multiple-time All-Star Marchand on the third line. It might be hard to keep the team together because Sam Bennett (league-best 10 goals), Marchand, Aaron Ekblad and others are pending unrestricted free agents, and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has one more year left on his deal. But the salary cap is going up, giving the Panthers flexibility. TheDetroit Red Wingsbeat thePittsburgh Penguinsin 2008 and the Penguins returned the favor the following year to give Sidney Crosby his first title. The same thing happened in 1983 and 1984. TheNew York Islandersswept the Oilers for their fourth title in a row. But Edmonton won in 1984 as Wayne Gretzky and company began their own dynasty. The 2010-11 rookie of the year never made the playoffs in his first 13 NHL seasons. But he did this season after signing with the Oilers in the offseason, only to be a healthy scratch after suiting up in the playoff opener. However, aninjury to Zach Hymangave him an opportunity to play again. He scored in his return to the lineup. The netminder got to Game 7 of the final last year but goaltending wasn't considered an Oilers strength heading into this postseason. Skinner was benched after two playoff games and backup Calvin Pickard won six in a row. But an injury to Pickard put Skinner back in the net, and he finished off theVegas Golden Knightswithback-to-back shutouts. He alsooutplayed Stars goalie Jake Oettingerin the conference final. Florida's Paul Maurice has made the Final in his first three seasons with the Panthers. Edmonton's Kris Knoblauch has done it his first two seasons as an NHL head coach. Both are strong at adjustments. Witness how last year's series had such wild swings. Those adjustments have continued his year. Maurice switched out his fourth line after losing the first two games in the second round before his team won in seven games. Knoblauch benched Skinner to give the goalie a chance to reset. Both coaches are highly quotable. Nine Panthers took part in the4 Nations Face-Off, with Matthew Tkachuk (USA), Bennett, Marchand and Reinhart (Canada), Barkov and others (Finland) and Gustav Forsling (Sweden) leading the way. Edmonton had three players, led by Canada's McDavid. Draisaitl will play for Germany in 2026 and other players from these teams could make the Olympics. The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments bysubscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Stanley Cup Finals: Panthers, Oilers rematch has plenty of intrigue

byMario Satorik

in

June 01, 2025

Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup Final rematch has plenty of intrigue

Panthers-Oilers Stanley Cup Final rematch has plenty of intrigue The defending championFlorida Panthersand theEdmonton Oilersare meeting for...

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Doué's sensational Champions League performance for PSG launches him into a new dimension

Doué's sensational Champions League performance for PSG launches him into a new dimension

PARIS (AP) — Translate Désiré Doué's name into English and you get the words "coveted" and "gifted." Both seem highly appropriate, considering how the 19-year-old's stunning performance for Paris Saint-Germain inSaturday's Champions League finallaunched him into soccer's stratosphere, making Doué a player every team would love to have. Doué scored with two clinical finishes in a 5-0 rout of Inter Milan after setting up PSG's first goal with a remarkable piece of close control. Controlling the ball on his left foot and spinning in one swift movement inside the penalty area, he then effortlessly switched feet and passed with his right to Achraf Hakimi. "I really don't have the words to describe how I feel. What we did is magical. We showed we are a great side collectively," said Doué, who turns 20 on Tuesday. "There are a lot of young players in the side who still need to improve, I am among them." Doué improving is quite a scary thought, given how good he already is. A game-changing ability When Doué joined PSG from Rennes for around 50 million euros ($55 million) in the offseason, it appeared a hefty fee for an unproven young player. Except for the fans who closely followed Ligue 1, he was largely unknown in France and beyond. Furthermore, his return of eight goals in 76 games hardly suggested he would become a dangerous scorer. But Rennes is one of the best youth academies in European soccer. Doué's PSG teammateOusmane Dembélécame through the ranks there as didMathys Telbefore joiningBayern Munich. PSG coachLuis Enrique, who coached Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar when Barcelona won the Champions League in 2015, saw a game-changing ability in Doué. He was proved right. Doué's emergencein the second part of the season saw him take goal-scoring winger Bradley Barcola's place in the starting lineup. It also coincided with PSG's revival in the Champions League after a difficult group stage where the club lost to Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Bayern. Doué held his nerve in the penalty shootout win against Liverpool in March, scoring the decisive kick in emphatic style to send PSG into the quarterfinals. Later that month, he also scored for France in a penalty shootout win in the Nations League. Doué kept improving in the big games Doué equalizedin the quarterfinal first leg against Aston Villa in Paris andscored five goalsin the competition. Overall he scored 15 goals for PSG this season, including spectacular curlers from outside the penalty area with his right foot. His silky close control, allied to an ability to wrong-foot defenders, made him a vital part of PSG's intricate approach play, particularly in confined spaces. His unorthodox dribbling is often brilliant, but does not always come off, so he reigned it in. "I sometimes overdo it a bit, but I try to keep my personality. When you play, you know there are areas where you have to build, release the ball, and others where you have more freedom," Doué said. "I analyze my matches and my training sessions a lot. I try to always maintain my discipline, and I hope that will take me to the very, very high level." Doué said that back in April. On Saturday night he achieved it, and joinedBarcelona's 17-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamalamong the most coveted young players in world soccer. They could face each other on Thursday, when France plays Spain in the Nations League semifinals. Both have the soccer world at their feet. ___ AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byMario Satorik

in

June 01, 2025

Doué's sensational Champions League performance for PSG launches him into a new dimension

Doué's sensational Champions League performance for PSG launches him into a new dimension PARIS (AP) — Translate Désiré Doué's name ...

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Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk

Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk

WASHINGTON ―President Donald Trumphas pulled his nomination ofJared Isaacman, a billionaire commercial astronaut with close ties toElon Musk, as his nominee to serve as administrator of NASA. The White House confirmed the withdrawal on May 31 and said Trump will soon announce a new nominee to lead NASA. No reason was provided for parting ways with Isaacman,who led and financed private astronaut missionsPolaris Dawn andInspiration4, which was carried out by Musk's SpaceX. The withdrawal, first reported bythe news website Semafor, comes after the 42-year-old Isaacman already cleared the Senate Commerce Committee in April and appeared on track for a full Senate vote. "The Administrator of NASA will help lead humanity into space and executePresident Trump's bold mission of planting the American flag on the planet Mars," White House Assistant Press Secretary Liz Huston said in a statement. "It's essential that the next leader of NASA is in complete alignment with President Trump's America First agenda, and a replacement will be announced directly by President Trump soon." More:Elon Musk's rise and fall: From Trump's chainsaw-wielding sidekick to a swift exit The move comes a day after Musk, a business partner and friend of Isaacman,left the White Houseafter spending four months as a senior White House adviser overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency.Musk joined Trump for an Oval Office news conferenceto mark the end of the billionaire Tesla and SpaceX CEO's tenure in the White House. "It is rare to find someone so competent and good-hearted,"Musk said in a post on X, in reaction to Trump's decision to withdraw Isaacman's nomination. Conservative activist Laura Loomer,who has proven influential in many Trump decisions, raised alarm about the status of Isaacman's nominationin an X post, hours before the White House confirmed it was being withdrawn, writing, "There is reason to believe that Isaacman may be facing retaliation because of his friendship with Musk." More:Trump's pick to head NASA has been to space twice: Recapping billionaire's missions Isaacman, founder and CEO of the payment processing company Shift4 Payments, undertook his first private space venture in 2021, when he was commander and financier of the world's first all-civilian extended mission to space. In 2024, he returned to spacewith an all-civilian crew of amateur spacefarerswith the Polaris Dawn mission, which he jointly funded with SpaceX. Isaacman drew concern from some lawmakers over his ties to Musk and SpaceX. During his Senate confirmation hearing in April, he sought to balance NASA's existing moon-aligned space exploration strategy with the Trump administration's push for a space mission to Mars, saying the U.S. can plan for travel to both destinations. As a potential leader of NASA's some 18,000 employees, Isaacman faced a daunting task of implementing that decision to prioritize Mars, given that NASA has spent years and billions of dollars trying to return its astronauts to the moon. NASA, which has about 18,000 employees, has lacked a full-time administrator since Bill Nelson, NASA administrator in the Biden administration, stepped down on Jan. 20 when Trump was inaugurated. Contributing: Eric Lagatta of USA TODAYand Reuters Reach Joey Garrison @joeygarrison. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:President Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman

byMario Satorik

in

June 01, 2025

Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk

Trump withdraws nominee to lead NASA Jared Isaacman, a close ally of Elon Musk WASHINGTON ―President Donald Trumphas pulled his nomination o...

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