Trump nominates Marty Makary, who opposed COVID ...
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated a critic of COVID-19 health measures to lead the Food and Drug Administration.
www.cbsnews.comHere’s a concise update on the latest publicly reported news about Marty Makary.
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Current status and role: Makary was nominated by former President Donald Trump to lead the FDA and was confirmed as FDA commissioner in March 2025. He later resigned as FDA commissioner in May 2026 amid political pressure and rumors of a replacement shake-up. This sequence places him at the center of FDA leadership through 2025 and into mid-2026. [Sources covering nomination and confirmation: CBS News report on nomination in 2024; subsequent reporting on confirmation and tenure.][1][2][3]
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Public profile and policy stance: Makary is known as a pancreatic surgeon and health-policy commentator who criticized certain COVID-19 public-health measures and vaccine-mandate approaches during the pandemic. His rise to FDA leadership was partly driven by his critique of the federal pandemic response. [CBS News profile on nomination; Washington Times pieces; KFF Health News overview.][3][5][1]
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Notable coverage and reception: Coverage during the confirmation process highlighted a mix of optimism about his medical expertise and concern about his pandemic-era views being tested in a regulatory role. Evaluations from peers were mixed, with some praising his clinical credentials and others challenging his positions on public-health policy. [KFF Health News summary; CBS News; Washington Times excerpts.][4][5][3]
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Aftermath and context: The public reporting through early 2026 discusses ongoing debates about regulatory reform, AI-assisted review tools, drug approval timelines, and price/transparency issues in healthcare—topics that Makary had signaled interest in during his tenure. This includes mentions of his agenda around modernizing regulatory processes and potential use of AI tools within the FDA. [KFF Health News overview; Washington Times and related coverage.][5][3]
If you’d like, I can pull more precise dates, summarize the exact reforms he advocated, or add this to a brief timeline with links to the original articles. Would you like me to do that?
Citations:
- Makary nomination and background.[1]
- Confirmation and tenure details.[3]
- Public-health views and pandemic-era commentary.[5][3]
- Post-appointment policy discussions and reforms.[3][5]