Trump Signs Off on Plan to Fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary

President Trump has signed off on a plan to fire Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary after a series of policy clashes, according to multiple reports on May 8, 2026. The decision follows disagreements over the agency's handling of flavored e-cigarettes, oversight of the abortion pill mifepristone and a string of drug approval denials that rattled biotech companies.

The White House had pressed Makary for months to authorize flavored e-cigarettes, a top priority for major tobacco companies that have been top donors to Trump. In March the FDA issued a memo limiting authorizations to flavors such as mint, tea and spices, stating that fruit and candy flavors were unlikely to pass muster because of their appeal to young people.

Anti-abortion groups had also complained that the agency did not move aggressively enough to restrict access to mifepristone after approving a generic version that lowered its price and expanded potential access. The Wall Street Journal first reported Trump's decision, citing unnamed sources.

A source close to the White House told Reuters that Trump had signed off on firing Makary, though the plan is not finalized and remains subject to change. The president has previously changed his mind after Makary persuaded him to retain his position.

Makary, a former surgical oncologist at Johns Hopkins, was confirmed as FDA commissioner in March 2025. He maintained a high public profile, appearing frequently on television and podcasts to discuss efforts to improve the food supply, speed up some drug approvals and rebuild agency morale after significant staff departures.

He sought to balance business-friendly goals of reducing regulations that slow innovation with skepticism toward the pharmaceutical industry voiced by supporters of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Makary authorized natural food dyes and worked to attract more drug trials to the United States.

Those efforts proved insufficient to satisfy critics focused on tobacco sales, opposition to abortion and faster authorization of biotech therapies. Officials viewed him as struggling to manage the agency and clashing with health department leaders as well as the White House.

Complaints from parts of the pharmaceutical industry added to concerns about his tenure. It was not immediately clear whether Makary would be fired outright or leave voluntarily. The timeline for any departure also remained uncertain, as did the identity of a potential successor.

Senior White House officials were scheduled to meet with anti-abortion activists on May 8 to discuss the commissioner's ouster.

The potential dismissal would leave the FDA without a permanent head, adding to existing vacancies across top health positions. The administration has operated without a Surgeon General since Trump took office in January 2025 after withdrawing the first three nominees amid internal opposition.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also lacked a permanent leader for months, and the FDA's vaccine regulator position is currently vacant. Following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, the drug became a primary option for women in states where surgical abortion is banned because it can be prescribed via telemedicine and mailed directly to patients.

Earlier this week the Supreme Court restored nationwide access to the drug after a federal appeals court had limited telehealth prescriptions. That emergency relief expires on May 11, setting up another legal battle. Without protected telehealth access, patients in states banning abortion would need to travel, sometimes hundreds of miles, to obtain the pill in person at a health center.

The FDA's approval of a generic version drew sharp criticism from anti-abortion organizations, which described the move as reckless and argued it undermined state pro-life laws. Makary's handling of the issue became a central grievance for those calling for his removal.