President Donald Trump has chosen Heidi Overton, a White House policy aide, to serve as his next FDA commissioner, according to a source familiar with the matter.¹

The decision, which two people separately told CNN was expected, arrives roughly three months after Dr. Marty Makary resigned as Trump's first FDA commissioner amid intense pressure from the White House.²

If confirmed by the Senate, Overton would take over an agency that has lost over 3,000 staff members over the past year, including division heads, and will be under pressure to rebuild confidence among industry and public-health groups amid concerns that the regulator has become too political.¹

Neither the White House, FDA nor Overton immediately responded to requests for comment.^1,2

Who is Heidi Overton?

Overton is currently deputy director of White House's Domestic Policy Council, where she has played a central role in developing and executing the administration's health care agenda.² She received her medical degree from the University of New Mexico, and was trained in general surgery at Johns Hopkins, while pursuing clinical-investigation research training at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.¹

Dr. Overton has already served under the first Trump administration before joining the conservative America First Policy Institute think tank, where she ultimately oversaw its health policy center.² Recently, Overton appeared at a White House event where President Trump announced an executive order calling for reducing the childhood vaccine schedule and splitting the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three separate shots.¹

Why did the search take three months?

Health officials have been searching for a new FDA commissioner since Makary resigned in May and have been prioritizing candidates capable of stabilizing the agency, which has suffered frequent personnel turnover and internal battles over policy decisions.²

In a conversation with Pharmaceutical Executive, David Crean, chief business officer at MedicNova, touched on the turnover, noting, "The issue is with predictability. You see so many changes going on at the agency, whether that's at CDER or CBER. What biotech is having to think about is the need to adjust regulatory strategies in response to either the staffing changes, uncertainty, or even delays at FDA."

Kyle Diamantas has run the agency as acting chief since Makary stepped down 13 months into the job after clashing with top White House and health advisers and drawing scrutiny for a series of controversial agency decisions.¹ According to CNN, Diamantas repeatedly turned down the permanent commissioner role even when asked directly by President Trump, citing his young children and personal reservations about the job.He is expected to remain at the Department of Health and Human Services once a new FDA leader is confirmed.²

Rep. Brad Wenstrup, an Ohio Republican and doctor, had at one point been the administration's preferred candidate but declined the position.² According to a senior administration official, Candidates were still being interviewed up until the decision was made on August 18.² The administration narrowed the field to a small group of finalists that included Overton and oncologist Jeffrey Vacirca, as well as Pentagon health official Stephen Ferrara, but Overton ultimately drew significant support within the White House, benefiting from a close relationship with chief of staff Susie Wiles and a preexisting rapport with Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter.²

Would Overton face resistance?

Overton's selection has the potential to generate skepticism among some in the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, who remain wary of her involvement in earlier White House-level decisions to pivot away from the most contentious parts of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s agenda, including vaccines, and to side with the agriculture industry on pesticide issues.²

Despite Overton and Kennedy having worked closely on a variety of health priorities in the past, some familiar with the dynamic questioned how the two would mesh if she moves from the White House into an FDA role that will technically be subordinate to Kennedy.²

What happens next?

Should Trump formally nominate Overton, it would set up another high-stakes confirmation fight before the Senate's health committee. Earlier this month, the Senate narrowly confirmed Trump's pick to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Erica Schwartz, only after Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy delayed the process over long-running concerns about the administration's vaccine policies.²

Sources

1. Trump picks White House adviser Heidi Overton to run FDA, source says Reuters August 18, 2026, https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-picks-heidi-overton-run-fda-bloomberg-news-reports-2026-08-19/
2. Trump expected to pick Dr. Heidi Overton to lead FDA CNN August 19, 2026, https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/18/health/fda-commissioner-heidi-overton