Looks like the FAA can designate someone as an astronaut...
https://www.space.com/faa-commercial-astronaut-wings-rule-change
They basically did that so only government employees can be "astronauts."
I agree that BO bafoonery is not worthy of astronauts wings. But take Jared Isaacman and the crew he put together for the Inspiration4 mission. He raised 9 figures for charity (St. Jude's Childrens Hospital), brought 3 people up to orbit that would have never had a chance otherwise, accomplished significant medical research pertaining to human spaceflight (first astronaut with prosthetic bones) and did it all privately. Oh, and they controlled their own craft (at least as much as any NASA astronaut controls a Dragon on the way to ISS) and lived in it for several days. Extensive and arduous training regimen to learn all of the Dragon/Falcon ecosystem.
And the FAA didn't award them astronaut wings.
Isaacman's going up again, to test SpaceX's new EVA umbilical suit. I think in 2023. Highly likely he will be the first human to fly and land on the Starship vehicle, and will be pilot for the Dear Moon mission that SpaceX is trying to accomplish around the same time as the Artemis mission by NASA.
Dude flies jet fighters for fun. Owns his own Mig.
