WSJ Links Musk’s Comments on Budget Bill to Trump’s Withdrawing Isaacman Nomination for NASA

— Updated with new roles for Isaacman, Lauber at Shift4, from SEC filing —

Editor’s note: I’m not writing much about national politics, but this item has a local connection.

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

The dispute between Elon Musk and President Trump has a Lehigh Valley connection, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Musk has referred to the federal budget bill under consideration as a “disgusting abomination” that will increase the federal deficit.

Trump had nominated Jared Isaacman, the billionaire founder and chief executive of Lehigh County-based Shift4, to run NASA. That choice was withdrawn, and several reports linked that move to Isaacman’s donations to Democrats.

There is nothing new about those donations, they are a matter of public record.

Isaacman is a pilot and he has been to space twice. Those were private flights via Musk’s SpaceX company. Musk has expressed support for Isaacman via social media.

Here’s a link to the WSJ article, if I can get you past the paywall.

The article says the decision to drop the Isaacman nomination “infuriated” Musk, citing a person with knowledge of the situation.

Shift4, based in Upper Saucon Township, is traded on New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FOUR. The company’s main business is processing credit-card transactions for hotels, restaurants, stadiums and other venues. It also has interests in cryptocurrency, non-profit giving and customer-loyalty programs.

In an SEC filing, the company said Isaacman resigned as CEO on June 4. He is now the Executive Chairman.

President Taylor Lauber is the new CEO.

The share price at 10:27 a.m. today (Thursday, June 5) was $96.94, up $2.76 on the day but well below the 52-week high of $127.50. The company’s market capitalization is about $8.6 billion.