The White House announced it had fired CDC Director Susan Monarez, who had served just one month as the agency’s first Senate-confirmed director this year.

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is facing an unprecedented leadership vacuum after the ousting of its director and a wave of high-profile resignations. 

This turmoil is unfolding as the US grapples with growing concerns over public health and vaccine misinformation.

On Wednesday, Aug. 27, the White House announced it had fired CDC Director Susan Monarez, who had served just one month as the agency’s first Senate-confirmed director this year.

The 50-year-old Monarez and her attorneys are contesting the move, arguing that she has neither resigned nor received an official notice of termination. 

They accuse Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. of targeting her for refusing to endorse what they called “unscientific, reckless directives” and for defending CDC staff.

A spokesperson for President Trump said Monarez was let go for not supporting the administration’s “Making America Healthy Again” agenda. 

The dismissal quickly triggered the resignation of several senior CDC officials, including the Chief Medical Officer and the Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. 

Departing leaders cited alarm over the “weaponization of public health” and the spread of vaccine misinformation as key reasons for their exit.

The leadership turmoil comes amid a backdrop of significant budget cuts, ongoing clashes over the politicization of the CDC, and a recent fatal shooting at the agency’s Atlanta campus on Friday, Aug. 8. 

As the agency faces mounting challenges, public health experts warn that a weakened CDC could further erode confidence in the nation’s response to ongoing and future health threats.

Check back to Daily Voice for updates.