Trump taps Heidi Overton as FDA commissioner
Axios · LC · trust 59/100
Add Axios on Google Heidi Overton, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, during the signing of an executive order on vaccines on Aug. 10. Photo: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump announced Wednesday he's nominating White House aide Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration.
Why it matters: The agency was left in turmoil after the exit of former commissioner Marty Makary earlier this year, threatening the stability of U.S. drug development.
What he's saying: " Dr. Heidi has been a ROCKSTAR in my Administration," Trump posted on Truth Social . "She is known to take on the HARDEST issues, and bring me solutions that work best for the Country."
Context: Overton, currently deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council , was one of several candidates that the White House had been considering for weeks.
The intrigue: Overton appeared at last week's signing of an executive order calling for an overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule, including slimming down the number of federally recommended shots and splitting up the MMR vaccine into three different shots.
Between the lines: Overton may not offer the reassurance the pharmaceutical industry was looking for in new leadership, though acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas has taken big steps toward repairing the agency's relationship with industry.
What they're saying: "Overton has degrees but seemingly no real experience running anything. Her claim to fame is having been a Makary protege who has bought further into anti-science and anti-vaccine messaging of elements of MAHA," Raymond James analyst and former Trump health official Chris Meekins told Axios.
The other side: Brian Blase, president of the Paragon Health Institute, called Overton a "great choice."
What we're watching: Whether Overton faces resistance from senators who'll have to vote on her nomination.
This story has been updated with Trump's announcement.
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