Top Officials Quit After White House Sacks CDC Director

WASHINGTON — Susan Monarez was appointed by President Trump and confirmed as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in July. On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that she was fired after an HHS social media post announced her departure, providing no reason for the decision. Monarez's attorney released a statement that she had neither resigned nor been fired, as only the president possesses that authority.

"Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people,” HHS announced Wednesday in an unsigned statement posted to social media.

Monarez's attorneys issued the following statement in response to that announcement:

"First it was independent advisory committees and career experts. Then it was the dismissal of seasoned scientists. Now, Secretary Kennedy and HHS have set their sights on weaponizing public health for political gain and putting millions of American lives at risk.

"When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted.

"Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign."

The White House confirmed the termination on Thursday, announcing that Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill—a key aide to HHS Director Robert Kennedy Jr.—would serve as interim director. Monarez and Kennedy had clashed over the latter's efforts to overhaul federal vaccine policies. While Monarez holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology, O'Neill has no scientific background.

Four top officials have resigned from the CDC since Monarez was fired: Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Daniel Jernigan, director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; Debra Houry, CDC Chief Medical Officer; and Jen Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology.

Dr. Daskalakis stated in his resignation letter, "I am not sure who (Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us," adding that unvetted outside organizations appear to have greater influence than the CDC's scientific experts.

The Senate will have to confirm Trump's selection of a permanent CDC director, a process that could take months.