The White House’s firing of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez has enraged leading physician groups, which say the upheaval at CDC has put the nation’s health at risk. Pitured is the CDC’s Global Headquarters on August 9, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
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The White House’s decision to fire Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez has enraged the nation’s leading physician groups, which warn that the upheaval at CDC has put the nation’s health at risk.
The ouster of Monarez, an infectious disease researcher who was sworn in less than a month ago, had been dismissed after reportedly clashing with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her lawyers said she “refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives.”
At least four other top CDC officials have announced their resignations, including chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry; Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Dr. Daniel Jernigan, the director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; and Dr. Jen Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology.
Here’s a sampling of physician and public health groups expressing anger, alarm and worry about the health of more than 300 million Americans in the wake of the CDC news.
The American Medical Association President Dr. Bobby M. Mukkamala said the removal of Monarez and the resignations of other senior CDC leaders “are highly alarming at a challenging moment for public health. This destabilization comes at a time when CDC’s credibility and leadership are more essential than ever. In the wake of CDC budget cuts and the termination of hundreds of employees earlier this year, the AMA is deeply concerned that this turmoil leaves us highly susceptible to public health threats.”
The American College of Emergency Physicians said it was “concerned about what the recent leadership transitions could mean for the future of the CDC. Strong, consistent leadership is essential to maintaining the CDC’s credibility, responsiveness, and ability to protect the public. We urge the administration to prioritize continuity and carry on the CDC’s history of a strong commitment to public health and science in its next steps. The stakes are too high to risk uncertainty in one of our most vital health institutions.”
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO Dr. Richard Besser, who was once CDC director, said the firing of Monarez “is another example of this administration’s ruthless and destructive political agenda which continues to politicize public health. It will cost lives. This firing is designed to silence dissent across the government. With this firing and the resignation of other top CDC leaders, the agency loses its ability to provide the best health advice to the American people. That will also cost lives.”
American Public Health Association Executive Director Dr. Georges C. Benjamin said RFK Jr. “must be removed from his position. Since taking office, his actions have sown confusion, demoralized staff and jeopardized the very foundation of our nation’s health security. Most critically, these missteps threaten lives—creating risks that could have been prevented if competent leadership were in place. The abrupt attempt to oust Dr. Susan Monarez, the CDC’s director, just weeks after her Senate confirmation, is yet another glaring sign of Secretary Kennedy’s failed leadership and reckless mismanagement. His tenure has been marked by chaos, disorganization, and a blatant disregard for science and evidence-based public health.”
Public Citizen Health Research Group Director Dr. Robert Steinbrook said “ousting the first Senate-confirmed CDC director weeks into the start of her tenure makes absolutely no sense and underscores the destructive chaos at RFK Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services. To make matters even worse, there are reports of additional resignations of critical high-ranking CDC staff. The CDC is being decapitated. This is an absolute disaster for public health.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2025/08/28/doctor-groups-rail-against-trumps-cdc-firing/
