Trump Administration fires CDC Dir. Susan Monarez after she has refused to step down

Susan Monarez, President Donald Trump’s candidate as director of the centers for the control and prevention of diseases (CDC), testifies to the confirmation of the Senate Committee for Health, Education, Labor and Pension on June 25, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Kayla Bartkowski | Getty pictures

The White House said on Wednesday that Susan Monarez, director of disease control and prevention, released it after refusing. Four other top CDC officials announced that the competitive health authority leave.

The leadership crisis on CDC broke out on the same day when the Food and Drug Administration announced new borders for it

“Susan Monarez does not match the president’s agenda to make America well again,” said the spokesman for the White House, Kush Desai, in a statement to NBC News. “Since Susan Monarez refused to dismiss himself despite information [Health and Human Services Department] The White House Monarez ended the guidance of her intention to do this from its position with the CDC. “

The explanation comes hours after lawyer Mark Zaid said that he had represented Monarez and that she had not yet shot or stepped down, and added that she would not resign.

“As CDC director Susan Monarez, unscientific, ruthless guidelines and fire experts for the stamps refused, she decided to protect the public because of a political agenda,” said Zaid in a statement. “She was targeted for that.”

On Wednesday, HHS said in a post on X that “Monarez is no longer a director” of the agency.

Monarez, a long -time scientist of the federal government, was sworn in on July 31. It is the first CDC director to confirm the Senate according to a new law that was passed during the pandemic, in which the legislators approve candidates for the role.

The Washington Post reported for the first time on Wednesday.

At least four other officials also submitted their resignation in a massive shock to the agency on Wednesday: Dr. Debra Houry, Chief Medical Officer of the CDC; Dr. Demetre Daskalaki, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, director of the National Center for Aufwärting and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Jennifer Layden, Director of the Office for Public Health, Surveillance and Technology.

In a recovery letter received by NBC News, the expansion of the spread of vaccine feasts wrote and said that the proposed budget cuts and reorganization plans would negatively influence the ability of the CDC to address conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, overdoses and mental health problems.

In his letter of withdrawal, which was also received by NBC News, Daskalakis said that he had left the agency “because of the continuing weapons of public health”.

Your departure takes place on a turbulent time for the agency, which on August 8th separates from a shooter attack on the headquarters in Atlanta. A police officer died at the shootout.

Monarez canceled a meeting with CDC employees on Friday, which was planned for Monday, as can be seen from an e -mail from NBC News. She said she wanted to assure the employees that the agency is working on restoring her “trust in the security of all CDC workstations”.

President Donald Trump nominated Monarez after returning his first election to the management of the CDC, the former Republican congress member Dave Weldon. Weldon has been criticized for his views.

– Michele Luhn from CNBC contributed to this report.