Trump picks Dr. Heidi Overton to lead FDA

By Adam Cancryn, Sarah Owermohle, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he’s nominating Dr. Heidi Overton as his next US Food and Drug Administration commissioner, elevating a longtime ally to lead the embattled agency.

The decision comes roughly three months after the resignation of Trump’s first FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, who stepped down amid intense pressure from the White House.

Overton is currently the deputy director of the White House’s Domestic Policy Council, where she’s played a central role in developing and executing the administration’s health care agenda.

In a Truth Social post, Trump lauded her as a “ROCKSTAR” who had worked closely with the US Department of Health and Human Services on his top health priorities.

“She is known to take on the HARDEST issues, and bring me solutions that work best for the Country,” Trump wrote. “We need her leadership at the FDA now to ensure that the U.S. remains the WORLD LEADER for Scientific Discovery and CURES.”

A doctor by training, Overton did a stint in the first Trump administration before joining the conservative America First Policy Institute think tank, ultimately overseeing its health policy center.

CNN earlier reported that Trump was expected to officially nominate Overton to run the FDA.

Trump health officials led a monthslong search for leader to run the agency that regulates a wide range of food, tobacco and pharmaceutical products and other medicines. Candidates were still being interviewed for the role up until Tuesday’s decision, according to a senior administration official with knowledge of the process.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, a Republican from Ohio and a doctor, had at one point been the Trump administration’s preferred candidate but declined the position.

Kyle Diamantas, the acting FDA commissioner who had been the agency’s deputy commissioner for food, also repeatedly turned down the position, even when asked directly by Trump, the administration official said. Diamantas cited his young children and personal reservations about the commissioner role. He is expected to remain at HHS once a new FDA leader is confirmed.

Trump’s decision to nominate Overton will now set up yet another potentially high-stakes confirmation battle in front of the Senate’s health committee.

This month, the Senate narrowly confirmed Trump’s pick to run the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Erica Schwartz, but only after GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy delayed the process over his long-running concerns about the administration’s vaccine policies.

Shortly afterward, Trump issued an executive order aimed at overhauling the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule, prompting sharp criticism from Cassidy and much of the public health establishment.

Overton was among the senior officials standing behind Trump in the Oval Office as he signed that order.

On Wednesday, Cassidy cited Overton’s support for the order in expressing deep skepticism of her nomination, writing on social media that “I have strong concerns about her nomination to be FDA Commissioner.”

“Her lack of managerial experience does not prepare her well for leading a large organization that is already dealing with staffing and morale issues,” he wrote. “Additionally, Dr. Overton’s active role in last week’s nonsensical vaccine executive order calls into question her commitment to standing up for sound science and protecting children’s health. That alone is almost disqualifying.”

Since Makary’s resignation in May, officials who led the search had prioritized candidates capable of stabilizing an agency that had suffered from frequent personnel turnover and internal battles over a range of policy decisions.

The administration ultimately homed in on a small group of finalists, including Overton and well-known cancer physician Dr. Jeff Vacirca, people familiar with the matter said.

Overton has little experience leading large organizations or federal agencies. But she boasted significant support within the White House, according to one of the people familiar with the matter, benefiting in particular from her close relationship with chief of staff Susie Wiles and a preexisting rapport with Trump.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who has worked closely with HHS and the FDA over the past several months, was also seen as a critical ally. Rollins and Overton worked together during Trump’s first term and later at the America First Policy Institute.

Overton’s selection may nevertheless generate some skepticism among the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, some of whom remain wary of her involvement in White House-level decisions earlier this year to pivot away from the most controversial parts of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda, such as vaccines — as well as to side with the agriculture industry on key issues surrounding pesticides.

Environmental activist Kelly Ryerson was among the prominent MAHA figures to criticize Overton’s nomination, calling it a “steep fall into depths of the swamp.”

“Very sad day for MAHA,” she wrote on X.

Kennedy, for his part, praised Overton as a “superstar,” taking credit for selecting her alongside Trump after the two of them determined she was the “best person for the job.”

But though Overton and Kennedy have worked closely on a range of health priorities, some people familiar with the dynamic questioned how the two would mesh if Overton moves from the White House to an FDA role that is technically subordinate to Kennedy.

The-CNN-Wire
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