CDC director Susan Monarez fired by Trump admin after refusing to resign

Susan Monarez, Senate-confirmed CDC Director, faced termination by the Trump administration on August 27, 2025, after refusing to resign under pressure from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her lawyers, Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell, stated, “Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired,” asserting only President Trump can legally fire her. The conflict arose when Monarez refused to “rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts,” prioritizing public health over political agendas.

The White House, via spokesman Kush Desai, countered, “Susan Monarez is not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again.” Her ouster triggered resignations from four senior CDC officials—Dr. Debra Houry, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Dr. Daniel Jernigan, and Dr. Jen Layden—protesting Kennedy’s vaccine policy shifts. Daskalakis wrote, “I am not able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponizing of public health.”