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White House Moves to Replace FDA Commissioner Marty Makary Amid Turmoil

White House Moves to Replace FDA Commissioner Marty Makary Amid Turmoil
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The White House moved to replace Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary after President Donald Trump approved a plan to fire him, capping months of internal turmoil, policy clashes and high-profile criticism of the embattled agency chief washingtonpost +1. Officials said a final decision could still shift, but potential acting and permanent successors were already being discussed as of May 8–9, 2026 pbs.

Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and media commentator tapped to lead the FDA in March 2025, had been sold as a stabilizing pick but instead presided over a period marked by staff departures, intense industry blowback and growing dissatisfaction inside the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) statnews +1. The FDA, which regulates products touching roughly a fifth of U.S. consumer spending, found itself at the center of fights over flavored e‑cigarettes, abortion pill access and contentious drug decisions with billions of dollars at stake nytimes +1.

Why Makary Fell Out of Favor

Reports from multiple outlets said Trump had “signed off” on Makary’s removal following mounting pressure from senior HHS officials, anti‑abortion activists and allies of the vaping and tobacco industry angered by delays and denials on flavored nicotine products nytimes +1. The commissioner also drew fire from biotech companies after the agency rejected several high‑profile drugs, including a melanoma therapy from Replimune, feeding a perception of inconsistency and over‑politicization in drug reviews nytimes +1.

Inside the agency, staff described “paranoia, turmoil and backlash,” with Reuters reporting that the FDA had lost thousands of employees to layoffs and resignations and cycled through five drug‑center directors since early last year, eroding institutional memory and morale politico +1. One career staffer quoted by Politico said Makary “will not be missed by a single career person,” underscoring how deeply he had alienated internal scientists and managers nbcnews.

Who Could Take Over — And What Changes

The White House was weighing naming Kyle Diamantas, the FDA’s deputy commissioner who oversees food regulation, as acting commissioner while it searches for a permanent successor, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions pbs. Other internal names under consideration for a temporary role included Grace Graham, Sara Brenner and Lowell Zeta, all senior FDA or HHS officials with policy and strategic portfolios pbs +1.

For a permanent post, former FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn and former acting commissioner and HHS assistant secretary Brett Giroir were among those floated, a signal the administration might reach back to experienced agency hands after the turbulence of Makary’s tenure pbs. Any nominee would face Senate scrutiny, where lawmakers from both parties have already raised concerns about leadership churn and the agency’s ability to provide predictable oversight for vaccines, drugs and emerging technologies nbcnews +1.

The Bigger Picture

The potential ouster highlighted how the FDA remained a political battleground as much as a scientific regulator, with decisions on vaping, mifepristone and cutting‑edge therapies reverberating through election‑year politics, Wall Street and public health washingtonpost +1. Whether the next commissioner restores stability and trust — or confronts the same cross‑pressures that felled Makary — will shape how quickly new treatments reach patients and how the U.S. manages future health crises.