FDA Commissioner Marty Makary Resigns After Turbulent Year
Makary resigned amid clashes over flavored e-cigarette approvals, mifepristone and drug-review changes; Kyle Diamantas will serve as acting commissioner.
Overview
Marty Makary resigned as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, and Kyle Diamantas will serve as acting commissioner.
Makary was confirmed in March 2025 and had clashed with the White House and stakeholders over fruit-flavored e-cigarette approvals, the abortion pill mifepristone and changes to drug review practices.
Trump praised Makary as "a great doctor" and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. thanked him on social media for advancing the Make America Healthy Again agenda, while anti-abortion groups and vaping lobbyists had pressured for his removal.
Makary had led the agency for just over a year amid mass leadership turnover, six directors in the FDA's drug center over one year, and resignations of senior career officials, according to reporting.
A permanent replacement must be nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, and many of Makary's initiatives have not gone through federal rulemaking, leaving their future uncertain.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Makary’s exit as part of a tumultuous leadership shake-up, emphasizing conflict and controversy. Editorial choices—words like 'ousted' and 'sparked internal tension', selection of disputes over flavored vapes, the abortion-pill approval and drug rejections, and highlighting other recent departures—create a narrative of managerial turmoil rather than a neutral personnel change.