FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigns after pressure campaign

WASHINGTON ‒ Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary resigned on May 12, President Donald Trump said, marking the latest high-profile leadership shakeup in the nation's health department.

Makary's exit follows a weekslong pressure campaign from anti-abortion activists for not moving quicker to restrict mifepristone and a clash inside the White House for his refusal to approve flavored vapes and nicotine products, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"Marty's a terrific guy, but he's going to go on and he's going to lead a good life," Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a three-day trip to China. "He was having some difficulties, but he's going to go on, and he's going to do well."

Trump said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas will lead the agency on an acting basis.

Reuters and other media outlets reported last week that Trump signed off on a plan to fire Makary. Politico first reported on Makary's resignation.

His exit adds to a multitude of public health vacancies under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose views on vaccines have rankled many in the health community.

Kennedy thanked Makary for his service in a statement on his departure.

"Marty, you took on entrenched interests, challenged the status quo, and never lost sight of the American people we serve. You pushed forward critical reforms and helped advance our mission to Make America Healthy Again," Kennedy said. "I’m grateful for your courage and your friendship. Wishing you the very best in your next chapter."

Kennedy said he has "full confidence" in Diamantas stepping in as acting FDA commissioner, adding that the search for a new commissioner is already underway and will "move forward with urgency."

Susan Monarez, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, left HHS in August 2025 after a policy disagreement with Kennedy. Trump in April nominated Erica Schwartz to replace Monarez while National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya serves as acting CDC director.

Trump, on April 30, pulled his nomination for Casey Means to be U.S. surgeon general amid resistance in the Senate over her lack of a current medical license and vaccine views. Trump nominated Dr. Nicole Saphier to fill the position instead.

Makary, a Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine surgical oncologist who criticized vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, was confirmed by Congress as ⁠FDA commissioner in March 2025.

He oversaw a sharply smaller agency as thousands of employees were forced out as part of the Trump administration's efforts to cut the federal government workforce through the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency. The FDA had five different vaccine chiefs in the span of a year, including one who was fired, hired back a month later, then left again less than a year after that.

Contributing: Reuters

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