WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump said Tuesday that U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary is leaving the agency, ending a turbulent tenure at one of the federal government’s most closely watched public health regulators.
Trump said Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas will lead the FDA temporarily while the White House looks for a permanent replacement. The transition comes after weeks of pressure on Makary from Republican lawmakers, anti-abortion groups, drugmakers, conservative media voices and senior administration officials, according to Reuters reporting.
The immediate flashpoint was the FDA’s handling of flavored vaping products. Reuters reported that Trump had criticized Makary for not moving quickly enough to approve fruit-flavored vapes and nicotine products, a policy area with major consequences for tobacco companies, youth-use prevention efforts and public health advocates. The agency authorized the first fruit-flavored e-cigarettes in the United States shortly before Makary’s exit became public.
Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and former COVID-19 vaccine-mandate critic, had also faced criticism over a stalled abortion-pill safety review and clashes with pharmaceutical companies over product decisions. Some drugmakers and industry observers complained that FDA decision-making had become less predictable, while critics from the other direction said Makary had not gone far enough on issues important to parts of Trump’s coalition.
The leadership change leaves the FDA without a permanent commissioner at a time when the agency is handling drug approvals, vaccine oversight, tobacco regulation, food safety, medical devices and pharmaceutical supply issues. Reuters also noted that other major federal health posts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lack permanent leadership.
The question now is whether the White House chooses a conventional regulator who can reassure industry and public health officials, or a more ideological nominee who reflects the administration’s political priorities. Either path will require navigating Senate confirmation, agency morale and ongoing fights over science, consumer safety and political control of health regulation.
Additional Reporting By: Reuters