FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigns

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned on Tuesday after clashing publicly with lawmakers, major pharmaceutical companies and President Trump himself.

Objective Facts

Marty Makary resigned as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday in the fourth high-profile departure of a member of the Trump administration this year. His departure was in the works after he clashed publicly with lawmakers, major pharmaceutical companies and President Donald Trump himself. The FDA's authorization of fruit-flavored vapes ultimately triggered Makary's decision to resign, as he opposed the decision and chose to resign ahead of congressional testimony Wednesday rather than publicly defend a position he didn't support. Some officials within HHS were pushing Makary to issue tighter restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone. Makary had faced scrutiny from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill after he promised during his confirmation process to conduct an FDA review of the safety of the abortion medication mifepristone. The agency has not yet released a report. Kyle Diamantas, the FDA's top food regulator, would take over as acting commissioner. Diamantas is a lawyer and does not have a medical degree.

Left-Leaning Perspective

U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin released a statement saying "I voted for Dr. Makary to head the FDA based upon his commitment to say 'no' if President Trump asked him to do something that would harm America. Dr. Makary kept his word. He resisted Trump's plan to expose millions of children to the dangers of vaping." Durbin added: "I hope Dr. Makary will inspire others within the Trump Administration to grow a spine and put the families of America ahead of blind loyalty to this President." The progressive healthcare advocacy group Protect Our Care called the acting replacement Diamantas "a thirty-something lawyer whose qualifications for such a critical public health role seem to begin and end at being Don Jr.'s 'hunting buddy.'" Left-leaning outlets framed Makary's resignation primarily through the lens of his resistance to vaping approval as a public health victory. PBS News reported that he "struggled to manage the FDA's bureaucracy and failed to win the confidence of its staff after mass layoffs, leadership upheavals and a series of controversies in which the agency's scientific principles appeared to be overridden by political interests." Democrats in Congress questioned the legality of his program that offered drugmakers expedited reviews for innovative medicines. The focus was on Makary's courageous stance against Trump's political pressure on vaping rather than on internal management failures. Left-leaning coverage largely omitted or downplayed Makary's internal management dysfunction, staff departures, and lack of transparency within the agency. Career FDA officials told CBS News there was widespread joy and relief over his resignation and accused him of "endless self-promotion" and "micromanaging and meddling in activities commissioners used to not interfere with," with staff often finding out about new initiatives through press releases or medical journals. This internal perspective received little emphasis in Democratic commentary.

Right-Leaning Perspective

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) celebrated Makary's resignation, calling him "uniquely destructive to the pro-life movement" and accusing him of attempting to "place pro-abortion lawyers in key positions," slow-walking the mifepristone review, approving a new abortion drug "when the data shows it sends 1 in 10 women to the emergency room," freezing out pro-life leaders, and stonewalling Congress. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, stated: "We look forward to a new FDA commissioner who will put an end to the mail-order abortion drug regime." Right-wing outlets emphasized Makary's failures on abortion pill regulation as his primary shortcoming. The Federalist reported Makary resigned "after months of pressure from pro-life groups to not only review approval of the popular abortion drug linked to an 11 percent maternal injury rate, but also reinstate safeguards that were present during the first Trump administration." Fox News reported that "Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed for Makary's resignation." Conservative outlets largely treated the vaping issue as secondary—a triggering incident—and presented the real problem as Makary's insufficient commitment to restricting abortion access. Right-leaning coverage gave less attention to Makary's internal management failures and staff departures. Conservative commentator Katie Pavlich said she was "sad" to see Makary leave, calling him "a good man and was a desperately need[ed] voice of logic, reason, courage and ethics during COVID panic" who "never caved to mandate pressure." The emphasis on his COVID-era contrarianism positioned him as having the right instincts even if specific policy outcomes (on abortion) disappointed conservatives.

Deep Dive

Makary's 13-month tenure at the FDA reflects a fundamental tension in Trump's second-term health apparatus: the clash between deregulatory priorities (from Trump himself) and the scrutinizing, anti-corporate agenda of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again movement. Makary faced a unique challenge in balancing calls by Trump and other Republicans to cut red tape at the FDA, while also tending to Kennedy's interest in scrutinizing the safety of vaccines, drugs and food additives. At times he angered the Make America Healthy Again movement galvanized by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for not advancing its agenda quickly enough, and has disappointed those who oppose abortion by approving a second generic version of mifepristone. The immediate trigger—his forced approval of flavored vapes in early May—represents his inability to navigate these competing pressures. Both sides correctly identify real problems. The left accurately notes that there was widespread joy and relief among rank-and-file inside the agency over Makary's resignation, with one senior official accusing him of "endless self-promotion" and "micromanaging and meddling," lack of transparency, and staff learning about initiatives through press releases or medical journals. The right accurately points out that some officials within HHS were pushing Makary to issue tighter restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, he faced scrutiny from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill after promising to conduct an FDA review, and the agency has not yet released a report. What the left downplays is that management dysfunction may have stemmed partly from unclear mandate and competing pressures, not just Trump meddling. What the right downplays is that on some issues—vaping, vaccines—Makary resisted political pressure because scientific evidence conflicted with stated administration goals. The succession raises questions about institutional capacity. Kyle Diamantas, the FDA's top food regulator, would take over as acting commissioner. Diamantas is a lawyer and does not have a medical degree. When the week began, several senior positions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were already sitting empty. There was no Senate-confirmed U.S. surgeon general. The head of the National Institutes of Health was doubling as the acting head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Food and Drug Administration lacked a permanent vaccine chief after that official was ousted for a second time in a year. Whether Diamantas can provide steadier leadership—or whether the underlying tensions that destroyed Makary's tenure will resurface—remains unclear.

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FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigns

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned on Tuesday after clashing publicly with lawmakers, major pharmaceutical companies and President Trump himself.

May 12, 2026· Updated May 13, 2026
What's Going On

Marty Makary resigned as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday in the fourth high-profile departure of a member of the Trump administration this year. His departure was in the works after he clashed publicly with lawmakers, major pharmaceutical companies and President Donald Trump himself. The FDA's authorization of fruit-flavored vapes ultimately triggered Makary's decision to resign, as he opposed the decision and chose to resign ahead of congressional testimony Wednesday rather than publicly defend a position he didn't support. Some officials within HHS were pushing Makary to issue tighter restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone. Makary had faced scrutiny from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill after he promised during his confirmation process to conduct an FDA review of the safety of the abortion medication mifepristone. The agency has not yet released a report. Kyle Diamantas, the FDA's top food regulator, would take over as acting commissioner. Diamantas is a lawyer and does not have a medical degree.

Left says: Senator Dick Durbin praised Makary for resisting Trump's vaping push and called on other Trump officials to "grow a spine and put the families of America ahead of blind loyalty to this President." Progressive groups criticized Diamantas's qualifications and legal background.
Right says: Sen. Josh Hawley hailed Makary's resignation as "welcome news," accusing him of being "uniquely destructive to the prolife movement" for slow-walking the mifepristone review and approving a new abortion drug despite safety concerns. Conservative commentators called him an invaluable COVID-era voice.
✓ Common Ground
Career FDA officials told CBS News there was widespread joy and relief among rank-and-file inside the agency over Makary's resignation, and they accused him of "endless self-promotion" and unprecedented "micromanaging and meddling." Critics across the political spectrum acknowledged internal dysfunction at the agency.
Several voices regardless of political leaning noted that the FDA leadership transition created uncertainty. Multiple outlets reported Makary leaves behind unfinished initiatives and ongoing reviews under scrutiny, noting whoever steps into the role will inherit the challenge of balancing the anti-regulatory interests of traditional Republicans with the anti-corporate priorities of Kennedy.
Both outlets noted that virtually all of the FDA's senior career officials resigned, retired or were forced out in the first year of the second-term Trump administration, leading to a steady stream of leaks and negative stories cataloging low morale, dysfunction and frustration among staff.
Objective Deep Dive

Makary's 13-month tenure at the FDA reflects a fundamental tension in Trump's second-term health apparatus: the clash between deregulatory priorities (from Trump himself) and the scrutinizing, anti-corporate agenda of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again movement. Makary faced a unique challenge in balancing calls by Trump and other Republicans to cut red tape at the FDA, while also tending to Kennedy's interest in scrutinizing the safety of vaccines, drugs and food additives. At times he angered the Make America Healthy Again movement galvanized by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for not advancing its agenda quickly enough, and has disappointed those who oppose abortion by approving a second generic version of mifepristone. The immediate trigger—his forced approval of flavored vapes in early May—represents his inability to navigate these competing pressures.

Both sides correctly identify real problems. The left accurately notes that there was widespread joy and relief among rank-and-file inside the agency over Makary's resignation, with one senior official accusing him of "endless self-promotion" and "micromanaging and meddling," lack of transparency, and staff learning about initiatives through press releases or medical journals. The right accurately points out that some officials within HHS were pushing Makary to issue tighter restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, he faced scrutiny from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill after promising to conduct an FDA review, and the agency has not yet released a report. What the left downplays is that management dysfunction may have stemmed partly from unclear mandate and competing pressures, not just Trump meddling. What the right downplays is that on some issues—vaping, vaccines—Makary resisted political pressure because scientific evidence conflicted with stated administration goals.

The succession raises questions about institutional capacity. Kyle Diamantas, the FDA's top food regulator, would take over as acting commissioner. Diamantas is a lawyer and does not have a medical degree. When the week began, several senior positions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were already sitting empty. There was no Senate-confirmed U.S. surgeon general. The head of the National Institutes of Health was doubling as the acting head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Food and Drug Administration lacked a permanent vaccine chief after that official was ousted for a second time in a year. Whether Diamantas can provide steadier leadership—or whether the underlying tensions that destroyed Makary's tenure will resurface—remains unclear.

◈ Tone Comparison

Democratic outlets used language like Durbin's phrase "grow a spine," treating Makary's resistance to vaping approval as a principled moral stance. Conservative outlets used stronger accusatory language, with Hawley calling Makary "uniquely destructive to the pro-life movement" and accusing him of attempting to place pro-abortion lawyers in key positions. Left framed Makary as standing up to Trump; right framed him as failing the pro-life movement.