Trump Removes FDA Commissioner Marty Makary

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Dr. Marty Makary is out as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, ending a tenure of more than a year that drew criticism from multiple directions. " Kyle Diamantas, who previously served as the FDA's top food official, will step in as acting commissioner.

Trump did not name Diamantas during his remarks. Several outlets reported that Makary resigned Tuesday after the White House had decided to remove him. Makary, a surgical oncologist who previously worked at Johns Hopkins, was confirmed as commissioner in March 2025.

He had frequently criticized the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic before taking the role. His time at the FDA included internal leadership changes, staff departures and public disputes with drugmakers, physicians and patient groups.

The White House had grown impatient with what it saw as Makary's slow progress on President Trump's initiative to legalize flavored vapes. Makary initially overrode agency scientists to halt approval of the first fruit-flavored vapes before the FDA moved forward with authorization last week.

Trump had long promised to reverse prior restrictions on flavored e-cigarettes. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America called for Makary's removal over the FDA's handling of mifepristone, the abortion pill that can be mailed to states with abortion limits.

Makary was accused of slow-walking a safety review of the medication. His successor will now inherit that review. Makary had highlighted his priority voucher program that speeds review times for certain drugs.

Several FDA decisions drew sharp pushback.

The agency initially refused to review Moderna's flu shot, a move the company said contradicted prior guidance. Officials later reversed course. The FDA also rejected a Huntington's disease gene therapy from uniQure, prompting the company to claim regulators were requiring what it called fake brain surgery for evaluation.

In April the FDA turned down Replimune's melanoma drug candidate for the second time, citing insufficient evidence of effectiveness and concerns about the single-arm trial design. Makary defended the decision in a May interview with CNBC's David Faber.

"I don't work for Replimune, I work for the American people, and I stand by the scientists at the FDA," he said.

“He's a great guy. He was having some difficulty but he's going to go on and he's going to do well. Everybody wants that job. It's a very important job.”

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., launched an investigation in March into the FDA's rejection of rare disease treatments. A Wall Street Journal editorial page published multiple pieces criticizing Makary's decisions, including on a cancer drug from Replimune.

Staff morale at the FDA dropped after layoffs and the exit of longtime officials. Dr. Richard Pazdur, a veteran cancer regulator, left citing Makary's leadership. Vinay Prasad, an appointee who oversaw vaccines and biotech, stepped down at the end of April after criticism from industry and former health officials.

The agency experienced repeated turnover in key roles. In the past year it had five different vaccine chiefs. Waves of layoffs contributed to what one former official described as ongoing upheaval. Makary's departure marks the fourth high-profile change in the Trump administration's health and security roles since March.

Trump will need Senate confirmation for a permanent replacement. That process could require support from Sen. , a physician who nearly blocked the confirmation of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump has backed a primary challenger to Cassidy.

Makary was absent from an Oval Office event Monday on maternal health despite being a top public health official. He had been scheduled to testify Wednesday before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the FDA budget.