Elon Musk lashed out at Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a sequence of insulting posts on his social media platform X on Tuesday, after Duffy steered NASA might sideline SpaceX from its moon mission.
Musk, SpaceX’s CEO, referred to as Duffy “Sean Dummy,” accused him of getting a “2 digit IQ” and posted sophomoric memes aimed toward Duffy.
“Should someone whose biggest claim to fame is climbing trees be running America’s space program?” Musk requested in a post Tuesday morning, which he pinned to his X profile. (Duffy, a former member of Congress, is a world champion lumberjack velocity climber.)
On Monday, Duffy mentioned in an interview with CNBC that he believes SpaceX, which has a $2.9 billion contract to offer the lunar lander astronauts would journey to the moon’s floor, is lagging not on time, doubtlessly thwarting NASA’s efforts to return people to the moon earlier than China amid a brand new house race.
“So, I’m going to open up the contract. I’m going to let other space companies compete with SpaceX,” he mentioned.
“They do remarkable things,” Duffy advised Fox News about SpaceX on Monday, “but they’re behind schedule.” NASA’s pivotal moon-landing mission, referred to as Artemis III, is deliberate for as quickly as mid-2027.
Musk spent Tuesday morning posting about how SpaceX is “the only company to successfully human-certify a new orbital space vehicle in the US” and resposting criticisms of Duffy.
Musk additionally responded to reporting from the Wall Street Journal that Musk ally Jared Isaacman could also be again within the operating to guide the company, as Duffy jockeys to fold NASA utterly underneath the Transportation Department. Trump had pulled Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator earlier this 12 months – the identical week Musk departed his function in Washington. Though Trump cited Isaacman’s “prior associations” as the rationale for pulling the nomination, CNN beforehand reported {that a} faction of individuals in Trump’s inside circle advocated in opposition to Isaacman after Musk left Washington and shortly earlier than Musk’s very public falling out with the President.
But Isaacman — who has twice flown to orbit on SpaceX capsules he commissioned — has reportedly been again within the operating, and a supply conversant in the matter confirmed he has met with Trump.
“Sean Dummy is trying to kill NASA!” Musk posted on Tuesday, in addition to reposting others’ reward for Isaacman.
Isaacman advised CNN he has “never expressed confidence about renomination at any point” and that he has “a lot of respect for Secretary Duffy and I have always enjoyed the time I’ve spent with him.”
“I’m grateful to all the supporters and to President Trump for the consideration, and most of all, I just wish to see NASA continue to shine as the world’s most accomplished space agency,” he added.
In a press release, a spokesperson for Duffy mentioned that the transportation secretary “never said he wants to keep the (NASA) job himself.”
The spokesperson added that Duffy has steered NASA “might benefit from being part of the Cabinet, maybe even within the Department of Transportation,” however reiterated he has not mentioned he wish to develop into NASA’s everlasting chief.
“The President asked him to talk with potential candidates for Administrator, and he’s been happy to help by vetting people and giving his honest feedback,” the spokesperson mentioned. “The bottom line is that Secretary Duffy is here to serve the President, and he will support whomever the President nominates.”
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