FDA chief Marty Makary leaving

Reports emerged Tuesday that the Trump administration’s Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, would leave his role. Makary faced hard criticism from inside the administration over his refusal to approve flavored e-cigarettes, along with outside criticisms from pharmaceutical company executives and pro-life advocates.

President Donald Trump described Makary as a great man and a wonderful friend while talking to reporters about the leadership change on Tuesday. When directly asked, Trump would not say whether Makary chose to resign or was fired. Everyone wants the job, and Deputy Commissioner Kyle Diamantas will temporarily take over, Trump said.

Makary was set to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee about the FDA’s proposed budget just one day after his departure was announced. Makary’s departure also marked the second leadership vacancy among top U.S. health officials after Trump ousted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Susan Monarez last August.

How are people reacting? Conservative commentator Katie Pavlich voiced disappointment at Makary’s departure in a Tuesday statement, characterizing him as one who never caved under pressure. Makary served as an essential voice of logic, reason, and courage during the COVID-19 pandemic, she wrote.

However, several pro-life advocates celebrated the leadership change on Tuesday. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., characterized Makary as uniquely destructive to the pro-life movement. Makary put pro-abortion lawyers into leadership, sandbagged the safety review of the abortion drug mifepristone, and froze out pro-life leaders, Hawley wrote. Makary’s resignation is a chance to reset the FDA, he added.

Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins released a Tuesday statement seemingly unconcerned with the new FDA leadership change. It doesn’t matter who leads the FDA if the White House doesn’t support taking action to protect mothers and babies from abortion pills, Hawkins wrote. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., characterized Makary as one example of what he described as the administration’s larger apathy toward pro-life issues. Cassidy said he anticipated that the next FDA nominee would care for pro-life issues as deeply as himself.