Douglas MacKinnon, a former White House and Pentagon official, argues that Laura Loomer’s public lobbying may have helped persuade President Trump to renominate Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator. Isaacman’s nomination was first raised in December 2024, withdrawn in May amid controversy, and recently advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee after being re-submitted. MacKinnon warns that China’s military-directed lunar program — driven in part by interest in helium-3 — poses a major strategic risk, and he calls for stronger U.S. efforts to secure lunar preeminence.
Opinion: Did Laura Loomer Help Put Jared Isaacman Back In The Running For NASA?
There are hundreds of experts who follow the U.S. space program and assess the national and economic security risks posed by the People’s Republic of China. Yet an unexpected and controversial voice may have helped sharpen attention on a growing strategic threat: China’s push to assert dominance in space, particularly on the Moon.
For roughly the last decade I have sounded the alarm about what I consider one of the United States’ most serious strategic vulnerabilities: a military-directed Chinese presence on the Moon. My background includes work on space-related issues at the Pentagon, at NASA, with the Space Shuttle team and in the private sector, but many warnings about this risk have struggled to gain traction.
Loomer, Influence And The Oval Office
Laura Loomer is widely viewed as a controversial far-right activist. That does not automatically invalidate her claims. While I disagree with her on many issues, she has consistently pushed warnings about China’s lunar ambitions — and, notably, she appears to have a line of communication to President Trump.
It is impossible to prove direct causation, but Loomer’s public lobbying for Jared Isaacman coincided with key moments in his nomination process. That timing raises a plausible question: did her efforts help persuade the White House to re-submit Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator?
Isaacman’s Uneven Path To The Top Job
Isaacman was first floated for the role in December 2024 and was formally nominated shortly after President Trump’s inauguration. In May, amid a public dispute involving Elon Musk, the administration withdrew the nomination. Just over a month ago, President Trump renominated Isaacman. The nominee was recently advanced out of the Senate Commerce Committee and now appears likely to be confirmed as NASA administrator.
Why Lunar Preeminence Matters
China is pursuing lunar activities for both military and economic advantage. A central driver, according to analysts, is helium-3 — an isotope present on the lunar surface that, if fusion technology matures to make use of it, could become a valuable long-term energy resource. Military planners and space strategists in Beijing appear to appreciate the strategic implications, and that has motivated an aggressive lunar strategy.
As Space.com recently quoted: "The U.S. must beat China to the moon, Trump pick for NASA chief Jared Isaacman tells Senate: 'If we make a mistake, we may never catch up.'"
What Comes Next
If Laura Loomer’s campaigning played any role in reviving Isaacman’s nomination, the consequence could be significant: a NASA administrator aligned with presidential priorities who treats the China challenge as urgent. Regardless of Loomer’s motives or reputation, the wider point is that U.S. policymakers should sharpen their focus on preventing strategic disadvantage in space.
We should view this as a call to action: strengthen civil and military space policy, accelerate technologies that secure American interests beyond Earth, and build bipartisan consensus around space preeminence. If Washington fails to act, strategic advantage on both the Earth and the Moon could shift in ways that are hard to reverse.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.
