White House Moves To Replace FDA Chief Makary

The Trump administration is preparing to remove Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary following months of controversy inside the agency and escalating criticism over his handling of drug approvals, vaccines and abortion policy, according to multiple reports Thursday.

The Washington Post reported that the White House signed off on a plan to replace Makary asourceser senior administration officials spent months debating whether to reduce his authority or remove him entirely.

Officials familiar with the discussions told the newspaper the timing of the move remains uncertain and President Donald Trump could still reverse the decision.

Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and former medical commentator, became FDA commissioner in April 2025 asourceser being nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate.

FDA Hit By Internal Turmoil

Makary’s tenure has been marked by leadership departures, staffing cuts and growing tension inside the FDA over the agency’s scientific independence and regulatory direction.

Several senior FDA officials resigned in recent months, including veteran cancer specialist Richard Pazdur, who warned publicly that political pressure was undermining scientific decision-making inside the agency.

The FDA also faced backlash from pharmaceutical companies, rare disease advocates and former agency leaders over changes to drug approval standards and Makary’s increasingly public criticism of biotech firms.

Critics accused the commissioner of creating regulatory uncertainty by altering approval expectations for experimental therapies and accelerating politically favored reviews.

Abortion And Vaccine Policies Sparked Pressure

Makary also faced growing criticism from anti-abortion groups over the FDA’s handling of mifepristone, the abortion pill at the center of ongoing legal battles across the United States.

Social conservatives and anti-abortion activists accused the commissioner of not moving aggressively enough to restrict access to abortion medication following federal court rulings limiting mail distribution of the drug.

At the same time, vaccine policy disputes intensified pressure on the agency.

The FDA recently faced scrutiny asourceser reports that agency officials blocked publication of government-funded studies showing Covid-19 and shingles vaccines were broadly safe.

Critics also questioned Makary’s leadership asourceser controversial decisions involving flavored vape approvals and vaccine review procedures.

Broader Shake-Up Inside Health Agencies

Makary’s possible removal comes during a wider restructuring effort across federal health agencies under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The administration has pushed for faster drug approvals, expanded use of AI in regulatory reviews and major changes to vaccine oversight.

The FDA has increasingly relied on media announcements and voluntary industry agreements instead of formal rulemaking procedures, drawing criticism from public health experts who warned the approach weakened transparency and scientific accountability.

Neither the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services nor Makary publicly commented Thursday on reports of the planned leadership change.