CDC Leadership Turmoil: White House Fires Director Amid Resignations

Mon Sep 15 2025 16:24:50 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Dr. Susan Monarez's unexpected dismissal creates a ripple of resignations at the CDC, with colleagues citing fears over the politicization of public health directives.

The White House has dismissed Dr. Susan Monarez, the recently appointed director of the CDC, citing her misalignment with the President’s agenda. As Dr. Monarez's lawyers express that her removal was a retaliatory act against her refusal to comply with unscientific directives, multiple senior officials from the agency have also resigned, raising concerns about the future of public health leadership and policies.

The White House says it has fired the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, after she refused to resign on Wednesday.

In a statement, it said she was not aligned with the president's agenda and she had been removed from her position at the health agency.

The US health department earlier announced her departure, prompting a statement from Dr Monarez's lawyers stating she had not been informed of her removal and would not resign.

Dr Monarez's legal team claims she was being targeted for refusing to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and accused Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of weaponizing public health.

As her attorney's statement makes abundantly clear, Susan Monarez is not aligned with the president's agenda, the White House reiterated, affirming her termination from the director role.

Dr. Monarez, a long-time federal government scientist, was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the CDC and confirmed in a Senate vote in July. This decision followed Trump's withdrawal of his prior nominee, Dave Weldon, who faced backlash for his controversial vaccine views.

In the fallout from Dr Monarez's dismissal, at least three high-ranking CDC officials have resigned. Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry expressed concerns over increasing misinformation regarding vaccines, while Daniel Jernigan, who led the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, noted the toxic environment as his reason for leaving. Others, including Demetre Daskalakis, resigned citing the ongoing politicization of public health.

Additionally, reports indicate the departure of Dr. Jennifer Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology.

These resignations have come amidst rising criticism of the CDC's approach to immunizations under Kennedy’s leadership, a noted vaccine skeptic.

On the same day as Dr. Monarez's removal, the FDA approved new Covid vaccines while restricting accessibility to the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, a move which Kennedy stated rescinds previous emergency use authorizations aimed at the broader public during the prior administration.

Dr. Monarez was uniquely positioned as the first CDC director in fifty years without a medical degree, bolstered by her expertise in infectious disease research. Her brief tenure included addressing trauma among CDC staff following a recent violent attack on their Atlanta headquarters by an individual claiming vaccine-induced harm.

The situation surrounding Dr. Monarez has prompted significant media coverage, drawing attention to the implications on public health policy during a contentious political landscape.