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Susan Monarez Rejects Removal as CDC Director Even After White House Steps In
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Key Takeaways
- Susan Monarez's position as CDC Director is contested, with conflicting reports on her dismissal and legal challenges to the procedure.
- The controversy has led to resignations of key CDC leaders, indicating internal turmoil and potential impacts on public health leadership.
Lawyers for Monarez argue that only the president can fire her and that she has no plans to resign.
HHS is attempting to remove CDC Director Susan Monarez.
Image source: X.com
Chaos continues at the CDC.
Lawyers for Susan Monarez are pushing back against efforts to remove her from her position as Director of the CDC. The drama began on August 27, when the official HHS X (formerly Twitter) account posted that Monarez was no longer director,1 although the wording did not clarify whether she had been fired or resigned.
“Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” the post states. “We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people. (HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy) has full confidence in his team at the CDC who will continue to be vigilant in protecting Americans against infectious diseases at home and abroad.”
However, Monarez’s lawyers quickly fired back and clarified that she was not resigning from the role. Since Monarez was confirmed by the Senate, Secretary Kennedy doesn’t have the authority to fire her, and President Donald Trump would have to be the one to let her go.
Around 7 pm on Wednesday evening, Monarez’s lawyer Mark Zaid wrote on BlueSky,2 “First it was independent advisory committees and career experts. Then it was the dismissal of seasoned scientists. Now, Secretary Kennedy and HHS have set their sights on weaponizing public health for political gain and putting millions of American lives at risk.”
The post continues, “When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubberstamp unscientific, reckless directive and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted. Dr. Monarez has neither resigned nor received notification from the White House that she has been fired, and as a person of integrity and devoted to science, she will not resign.”
According to NBC News,3 the White House quickly responded by announcing that Monarez had been fired. However, this didn’t end the drama, as Monarez’s lawyers argue that this was still not the correct procedure.
“Our client was notified tonight by White House staff in the personnel office that she was fired,” Zaid wrote in a post around midnight on Thursday morning. 2“As a presidential appointee, senate confirmed officer, only the president himself can fire her. For this reason, we reject notification Dr. Monarez has received as legally deficient and she remains as CDC Director. We have notified the White House Counsel of our position."
While Monarez’s future at the agency is likely to come to an end very soon, the impacts are already being felt. In the wake of the termination, multiple leaders at the CDC announced their resignations3 as well, including:
- Dr. Debra Houry, the chief medical officer
- 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
- Dr. Jen Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology
While Monarez awaits her fate, it’s important to note that she was nominated for her role by President Trump himself. She began serving as interim director of the agency in January, and was formally nominated in March of this year. However, she was not the President’s first choice. He had initially attempted to nominate former congressman Dave Weldon, but the nomination was withdrawn over concerns about Weldon’s views on vaccines. Monarez is also notable for being the first CDC Director to go through the Senate nomination process.
In March, President Trump wrote on Truth Social,4 “I am proud to announce that Dr. Susan Monarez is my Nominee to serve as the next Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Monarez brings decades of experience championing Innovation, Transparency, and strong Public Health Systems. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, and PostDoctoral training in Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine.”
His post continued, referring to Monarez as an “incredible mother” and someone that understands the importance of protecting children.
Sources
- X Post from HHS. HHS. August 27, 2025. https://x.com/hhsgov/status/1960818490614415869
- BlueSky Post from Mark Zaid, Es. Mark Zaid. August 28, 2025. https://bsky.app/profile/markzaidesq.bsky.social/post/3lxgo2pplac2w
- CDC director Susan Monarez fired by Trump administration after refusing to resign, citing 'reckless directives.’ NBC News. August 27, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/cdc-director-monarez-out-confirmed-rfk-jr-rcna227620
- Truth Social Post from Donald Trump. Donald Trump. March, 2025. https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114219231809224627
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