President Trump Nominates Dr. Susan Monarez as CDC Director

Monarez, the acting CDC director since January, will be the first nominee to face Senate confirmation under new accountability reforms.

Dr. Susan Monarez was officially nominated by President Trump to lead the CDC, replacing Dave Weldon, whose nomination was withdrawn due to vaccine skepticism and insufficient Senate support.
Monarez will be the first CDC director to require Senate confirmation, following legislative reforms passed in 2022 to enhance accountability at the agency.
Her tenure as acting director has drawn scrutiny for controversial decisions, including workforce reductions and plans to research vaccine-autism links despite existing scientific consensus.
Monarez brings a background in federal health policy and research, having held leadership roles at ARPA-H, DHS, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The nomination is framed as part of the administration's 'Make America Healthy Again' platform, with a focus on restoring public trust in the CDC and addressing public health challenges such as vaccine skepticism and disease outbreaks.