President Trump has signed off on a plan to fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, according to multiple reports. This marks the latest high-level shakeup under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., following last summer’s ouster of CDC Director Susan Monarez and the February removal of Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill.
Dr. Makary, a former Johns Hopkins surgeon, rose in conservative circles as a measured critic of pandemic-era policies. Appointed to lead the FDA, he became a visible MAHA surrogate, frequently appearing on television to discuss improving the food supply, authorizing natural dyes, speeding drug approvals, and restoring agency morale after major DOGE-led layoffs.
That tension between libertarians in Trump world and more traditional, pro-life, patient-centered conservatives created an unnavigable path for the FDA chief. Of course, any bureau head faces similar challenges and must possess both issue-area competence and basic situational awareness. It appears Makary failed this basic test.
Former Senator Rick Santorum captured the frustration of the traditional conservative MAHA base: “I supported his nomination because he spoke truth during COVID. He immediately fired the best leaders at the FDA, replaced them with anti-Trump leftists who hollowed out the agency, harmed patients, stifled innovation, drove biotech to China, and then lied about it.”
Freeing up innovation and patient choice—especially for patients with rare diseases—has been a Trump priority from the beginning. But Makary has been unable to turn around bureaucratic decisions quickly enough for Trump and his MAHA activists, who want speedier approvals so dramatically more patients can benefit from accelerated AI-driven research and faster approvals.
Pro-life groups initially supported Makary for his steadfast opposition to pandemic lockdowns and his support for dissenting voices in the medical community who were blacklisted by leaders in the Biden health offices. However, his unfulfilled promise to investigate mifepristone’s health impacts on pregnant women cost him key pro-life support.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America called for the immediate removal of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary following The Wall Street Journal report on the commissioner’s stated “indifference” to abortion drugs. Makary admitted, “I don’t think about the abortion pill or its safety restrictions.” Marjorie Dannenfelser said, “FDA Commissioner Makary should be fired immediately. Indifference is completely unacceptable to millions of pro-life voters.”
The administration’s frustration with Makary also stems from his perceived foot-dragging on a Trump request to approve mango and blueberry flavored vapes. This issue seems less likely to be a mortal sin, given Trump’s consistent lectures to children to stay away from cigarettes and booze.
This change signals accountability in real time. The next FDA leader must deliver faster on innovation, consumer choice, and Trump’s key deliverables. We need leaders who execute, not just narrate. Trump’s team continues refining the roster to match the urgency of Making America Healthy Again.
