"Susan Monarez was confirmed as the CDC’s director in July. Three top agency officials announced resignations as the Trump administration pushed her out."
"The White House on Wednesday fired Susan Monarez as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after she refused to resign amid pressure to change vaccine policy, which sparked the resignation of other senior CDC officials and a showdown over whether she could be removed.
Hours after the Department of Health and Human Services announced early Wednesday evening that Monarez was no longer the director, her lawyers responded with a fiery statement saying she had not resigned or been fired. They accused HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of “weaponizing public health for political gain” and “putting millions of American lives at risk” by purging health officials from government.
“When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda,” the lawyers, Mark S. Zaid and Abbe Lowell, wrote in a statement. “For that reason, she has been targeted.”
Soon after their statement, the White House formally fired Monarez."
Lena H. Sun, Dan Diamond and Lauren Weber report for the Washington Post August 28, 2025.
SEE ALSO:
"Top CDC Officials Quit, With One Condemning ‘Ongoing Weaponization Of Public Health’" (Guardian)
"C.D.C. Director Departs After Just Weeks on the Job" (New York Times)
"How Vaccine Policy Has Changed Under RFK Jr." (Washington Post)
"US CDC Chief Out After Weeks In Role, Challenges Ouster As Four Top Officials Resign" (Reuters)
"FDA Limits Approval For New Coronavirus Vaccines To High-Risk People" (Washington Post)
"RFK Jr. Targets One Of The Strongest State School Vaccine Mandate Laws" (Washington Post)
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