Trump nominates Erica Schwartz to lead CDC

President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , announcing the pick on social media. Officials described Schwartz as a physician who has publicly supported vaccines, a stance that contrasts with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his record of vaccine skepticism.

If confirmed by the Senate , Schwartz would take charge of an agency that has cycled through leadership rapidly, becoming the fourth leader in just over a year . The CDC she would inherit has faced a series of disruptions, including layoffs, a shooting at its headquarters, and a reported decline in public trust, according to the source material.

Schwartz previously served as a deputy surgeon general during Trump’s first term and holds multiple advanced degrees, and she is described as a more conventional choice for the post. In her public remarks, she has characterized vaccines as central to public health, aligning her with mainstream public health views cited in the source.

The nomination arrives ahead of the midterm elections and is being framed as a potential recalibration inside the administration’s health leadership. Some allies of Kennedy, officials said, have raised concerns about Schwartz’s past support for vaccine mandates, highlighting internal tensions over how federal health policy should be communicated and implemented.

Trump also named additional senior CDC leadership. He announced Sean Slovenski as deputy director and chief operating officer , Dr. Jennifer Shuford as deputy director and chief medical officer , and Dr. Sara Brenner as a senior counselor to Kennedy. Officials said these selections replace political appointees at the CDC who were more closely aligned with Kennedy’s vaccine skepticism.

In practical terms, the set of nominations and appointments signals an effort to balance the administration’s health agenda with positions described as consistent with scientific consensus. The immediate next step is the Senate confirmation process for the CDC director role, which will determine whether Schwartz formally assumes leadership amid ongoing operational and reputational challenges at the agency.