Trump confirms Makary is out at FDA

President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed that Marty Makary, Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is leaving the agency. He also announced on Truth Social that Kyle Diamantas, who currently serves as FDA deputy commissioner for food, will step up as acting FDA commissioner.

There has been intense reporting based on anonymous administration sources over the past week that Makary would soon be removed from his position, including a report Friday in The Wall Street Journal that Trump had signed off on a plan to fire the embattled FDA commissioner.

On Tuesday afternoon, Trump confirmed to reporters on the White House South Lawn that Makary has left the agency, though he declined to specify whether Makary resigned or had been fired.

“I don't want to say, but Marty's a great guy, he's a friend of mine, he's a wonderful man, and he's going to be off, and the assistant, the deputy is taking over temporarily until we find [a replacement],” said Trump. “Everybody wants that job; it's a very important job.”

"He's a great doctor, and he was having some difficulties, but he's going to go on, and he's going to do well,” he added.

The news comes after a turbulent period for FDA, which has been embroiled in conflicts over vaping, abortion, and its oversight of healthcare products. The Journal noted that top officials in the Trump administration viewed Makary as struggling to manage the agency and noted that he often clashed with health department officials and, at times, with the White House itself.

FDA’s leadership ranks have also seen a rapid turnover during Makary’s tenure. Makary is one of several top public health officials to be removed from their post under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. Susan Monarez, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was fired last year after clashing with Kennedy over vaccine policy, and HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill left the department after a very brief stint in February.

"Marty, you took on entrenched interests, challenged the status quo, and never lost sight of the American people we serve," said Kennedy on X. "You pushed forward critical reforms and helped advance our mission to Make America Healthy Again.

"I’m grateful for your courage and your friendship," he added. "Wishing you the very best in your next chapter."

Kennedy also went on to thank Diamantas for stepping up as acting commissioner.

"...his leadership has already delivered remarkable wins on the MAHA food agenda, and I have full confidence in his continued work," said Kennedy. "We have an outstanding team at FDA, and the work continues without pause. The search for a new Commissioner is already underway, and we will move forward with urgency."

Kennedy also retweeted a post from Truth Social where Trump confirmed that Diamantas would take the helm at FDA temporarily. FDA’s website notes that, besides setting the strategic direction and operations for food policy, Diamantas also serves as a “critical liaison” between FDA, HHS, and the White House.

“Mr. Diamantas has extensive experience working with various federal and state agencies and policy makers, scientific organizations, consumer advocacy groups, and industry stakeholders,” FDA’s website states. “He has wide-ranging experience on matters spanning regulatory, compliance, investigative, enforcement, rulemaking, and legislation.”

Diamantas has a law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and a bachelor’s in pre-law political science from the University of Central Florida. According to his LinkedIn profile, he took on the role of FDA deputy commissioner for human foods in February 2025 after four years as a partner at the Jones Day law firm in Florida.

John Crowley, president of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), issued a statement after news broke that Makary was departing the FDA, noting the morale challenges at the FDA during his tenure.

“Dr. Makary inherited an FDA in crisis after the DOGE changes, which included the firing of thousands of employees," said Crowley. "These staffing and morale challenges were compounded by constant leadership changes over the past year and questions around shifting FDA standards for drug approvals.

"What we need now is strong, stable and science-driven leadership at the FDA," he added. "We are losing the biotech race with China. FDA must be strengthened immediately to ensure that patients continue to benefit from medical miracles and that the United States leads the world in biomedical innovation, which is crucial for the public health, economic growth and our national security.”

Public advocacy group, Public Citizen, also issued a statement stating that Makary resigned under pressure and was critical of Diamantas. It noted that prior to FDA, Diamantas represented Abbott Laboratories, which manufactures infant formula that faced a shortage crisis under the Biden administration and led to an overhaul of the agency's food program. It also noted that he's a “hunting buddy” of Donald Trump Jr., Trump's son.

“Kyle Diamantas had little experience regulating food when he was named the FDA’s Deputy Commissioner for Food in 2025, and he has even less experience regulating drugs, devices, and other medical products,” said Robert Steinbrook, health research group director at Public Citizen. “Diamantas is an attorney with no scientific or medical credentials.

“The American people deserve an acting FDA Commissioner with deep expertise in the agency’s many responsibilities,” he added. “Diamantas’ background inspires no confidence that he will ensure the FDA’s full independence from Pharma and political interference.”

Makary was also still scheduled to speak before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday morning to discuss FDA’s FY2027 budget. Focus reached out to the committee to clarify whether he was still expected to speak but did not receive a response at the time of publication.