How Trump’s Choices for Senior Health Agencies Could Change US Health Care

President-elect Donald Trump announced a group of medical doctors to fill three top health positions in his administration at the end of the week.

Trump will nominate Florida Representative Dave Weldon to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Marty Makary for Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Janette Nesheiwat for Surgeon General.

All of them could play an important role in shaping how the government manages health care, medicine, food safety, and scientific research. If the Senate confirms these nominees, it will answer Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is a vaccine skeptic. who plans to reform the regulation of food and medicine and prioritize preventive health.

Here is a look at where the candidates stand on important life issues.

FDA Commissioner Nominee: Marty Makary

Trump tapped Martin Makary, MD, MPH, a Johns Hopkins University surgeon, to lead the FDA. The agency regulates prescription and over-the-counter drugs, cell and gene therapies, foods, medical devices, tobacco and cosmetics.

In a post on his Public Truth website, Trump said Makary would “fix and refocus” the agency. “I am confident that Dr. Makary, having dedicated his career to high-quality, affordable care, will return the FDA to the gold standard of scientific research and cut through the administrative red tape at the agency to ensure that Americans get the medical treatment they deserve,” he added.

Makary has been a prominent critic of the medical establishment for more than a decade. He has written several books and opinion pieces, and appears as a medical commentator on Fox News. In his latest book, Makary criticizes “the problem of the medical establishment.”

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote opinion pieces questioning the value of lockdowns and masks. He also criticized the FDA for not making changes to vaccination recommendations for children, citing concerns about the risk of rare heart attacks. In early 2021, he wrongly predicted that the US would reach the cattle protection by April.

Her peers criticized her for cherry-picking, and her comments drew criticism from health care providers who were under pressure in US hospitals.

Makary is the CEO of the telehealth company Sesame, which connects patients with doctors who can prescribe weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound. If his nomination is confirmed, he will lead the FDA as it deals with disputes between drugmakers and pharmacy mergers over the supply and pricing of blockbuster drugs.

Kennedy has said that if he is confirmed as HHS secretary, he will fire key FDA staff and pressure the food and drug industry. Makary agrees with some of Kennedy’s views.

“We’ve poisoned our food supply, we’ve created highly addictive chemicals that we’ve put in our food,” Makary said during a Senate hearing in September. “Our health care system is playing whack-a-mole behind the scenes, and we’re not addressing the root causes of our chronic disease epidemic.”

CDC director-elect: Dave Weldon

Trump has appointed Dave Weldon, MD, to lead the CDC. Weldon is a physician and former congressman representing Florida.

The CDC is the nation’s top public health agency, tasked with tracking and responding to infectious diseases, collecting and analyzing public health data, developing vaccination guidelines, and monitoring public health emergencies.

Weldon has long been an outspoken critic of the CDC and its vaccination program. In 2007, he sponsored a bill to take vaccine safety research out of the hands of the CDC, reducing the agency’s powers.

He is a leading anti-vaccination campaigner. Weldon has proposed the theory that thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative once widely used in vaccines, has caused autism cases worldwide.

Years of research show that there is no reliable link between thimerosal and autism and that misinformation linking the two has led to vaccine avoidance and unsafe treatment methods for children with autism.

Weldon also serves as president of the Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries, a trade group of Christian organizations that offer an alternative form of health insurance. Members agree to send money each month to cover other members’ health bills, and they do not have a guarantee fee or provide the same coverage as health insurance.

The choice comes at a time when the US is seeing a growing threat from H5N1 bird flu, whooping cough, and a spike in measles cases.

Doctor General Candidate: Janette Nesheiwat

Trump has selected Janette Nesheiwat, MD, a physician and Fox News contributor with ties to his former administration, as his nominee for surgeon general.

Nesheiwat is the New York City medical director for CityMD, a chain of urgent care centers. Trump said he cared for patients after Hurricane Katrina and was on the front lines of the COVID outbreak in New York City.

“She is committed to ensuring that Americans have access to affordable, high-quality health care, and believes in empowering individuals to take control of their lives to live longer, healthier lives,” Trump said on Social Truth.

A General Practitioner is considered a “public physician.” They are responsible for leading thousands of public health officials and informing the public of important health information. They can issue public health warnings, such as warnings attached to cigarettes and alcohol.

Unlike other nominees for top health positions, Nesheiwat is an advocate for childhood vaccinations. In an opinion piece on Fox News in 2021, he called the COVID vaccines “a gift from God.”

Nesheiwat contributes to Fox News and other outlets, has written a book about his Christian medical journey, and sells vitamin B and C supplements.