White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back after the sudden departure of a top CDC official who criticized the Trump administration’s handling of public health policy and used the phrase “pregnant people” in his resignation letter.
The shake-up began when the Health and Human Services Department confirmed that CDC Director Susan Monarez had left just weeks after taking the job. Reporters pressed Leavitt on whether more high-level officials could be pushed out for clashing with the administration’s agenda.
“Not to my knowledge,” Leavitt said at Thursday’s briefing. “I understand there were a few other individuals who resigned after the firing of Ms. Monarez. One of those individuals wrote in his departure statement that he identifies pregnant women as pregnant people, so that’s not someone we want in this administration anyway.”
That official was Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who resigned Wednesday from his post as director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. His decision came shortly after news broke that RFK Jr., serving as HHS Secretary, had forced out Monarez.
Daskalakis, a well-known physician and LGBTQ advocate, was one of at least four top officials to leave in protest. Posting his resignation letter on X, he wrote, “Enough is enough.” In the letter, he accused the administration of using the CDC as a political tool to promote policies “that do not reflect scientific reality and are designed to hurt rather than to improve the public’s health.” He specifically pointed to changes in vaccine schedules for children and adults, warning they could endanger lives.
His reference to “pregnant people” quickly drew fire from MAGA commentators online, and Leavitt echoed that criticism. “If people are not aligned with the president’s vision and the secretary’s vision to make our country healthy again, then we will gladly show them the door,” she said.
Meanwhile, Monarez’s lawyers argued her ousting was unlawful, saying only the president could fire her. They accused Kennedy of “weaponizing public health for political gain” and said Monarez refused to “rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives.” The White House maintained that she was asked to resign because she did not align with Trump’s agenda.
“Her lawyers’ statement made it abundantly clear to themselves that she was not aligned with the president’s mission to make America healthy again, and the secretary asked her to resign,” Leavitt told reporters. She added that Trump himself had ultimately fired her and promised a replacement would be announced soon.
Outside CDC headquarters in Atlanta, employees staged a show of support for the officials who resigned. Workers wore “save CDC” stickers and carried signs thanking their departing leaders. Former CDC directors also spoke out, warning the agency is heading down a “dangerous path” as political pressure replaces science at the top.
The string of departures leaves the nation’s top public health agency shaken at a time when trust in government health guidance is already fragile. Whether Trump and Kennedy’s next pick to lead the CDC will calm fears or further inflame them remains to be seen.
My resignation letter from CDC.
— DrDemetre (@dr_demetre) August 27, 2025
Dear Dr. Houry,
I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business.…