Yishen Miao
By Mys 721tx, on August 26th 2019, from Wikimedia Commons
August 27th 2025, Susan Monarez became the CDC director with the shortest tenure in the organization’s history, after the White House announced she was fired from her position after less than a month in office. The decision seemingly came after growing internal conflict over vaccine policies.
According to Kush Desai, the White House spokesperson, the reason behind the firing was due to the belief that Monarez was “ not aligned with the president’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again”.
Initially, Monarez heavily pushed back against her firing, with her legal team disputing the claims saying she neither resigned nor been notified of her termination. Claiming she was being targeted because she “refused to rubber-stamp unscientific reckless directives”.
Following Monarez’s firing, four senior CDC officials resigned. Including Dr. Jennifer Layden former director of the office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology, as well as Dr. Daniel Jerigan, director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.
Along with them was also Dr. Demeter Daskalakis director of National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and CDC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Debra Houry. Who, according to Reuters News Agency, in their resignation letters, cited “a rise in health misinformation especially on Vaccines, attacks on science, the weaponization of Public health, and attempts to cut the agency’s budget and influence” in their resignation letters.
Despite Monarez’s reluctance to leave her position, the White House named a new director only a day after firing Monarez, Jim O’Neill who serves as the deputy to Health Secretary RFK Junior. With Monarez stating that she was being targeted by Kennedy for “refusing to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives”.
Despite Monarez’s reluctance, the White House went on to name Jim O’Neil (who served as the deputy to Health Secretary RFK Junior) as the new Director of the CDC, only a day after announcing her firing.
More recently, just yesterday Susan Monarez testified about the events leading to her firing, still maintaining her same position on the issue.