Trump taps Johns Hopkins professor Makary as FDA chief
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Johns Hopkins professor Marty Makary. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images for HBO
President-elect Trump on Friday selected Johns Hopkins professor Marty Makary to lead the Food and Drug Administration.
Why it matters: Makary has long advocated for reforms to the health care system and gained prominence during the pandemic for his criticisms of parts of the federal response. He has recently been supportive of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination to become HHS secretary.
The big picture: Trump's selection of Kennedy has raised questions about who will lead the agencies under HHS, including the FDA, and how closely those appointees will be aligned with Kennedy's worldview.
- Trump, in a statement, said Makary will work with Kennedy to, among other things, "properly evaluate harmful chemicals poisoning our Nation's food supply and drugs and biologics being given to our Nation's youth, so that we can finally address the Childhood Chronic Disease Epidemic."
- But Makary has been publicly clear about his support, recently reposting on X a satirical article headlined "Fattest, Sickest Country On Earth Concerned New Health Secretary Might Do Something Different."
- He told Fox News that "people should not dissect what he said 30 years ago and listen to what he's saying now. ... What is scary and dangerous to health is not RFK Jr., it's what people just witnessed."
- Makary's skepticism of government COVID-19 policies, including around vaccine use, landed him before multiple congressional committees as a GOP-friendly witness.
Between the lines: Outside of pandemic, Makary was known for his work on issues including the frequency with which hospitals sued their patients.
- In 2021, some of this research was provided exclusively to Axios. A major finding was that more than a quarter of the 100 U.S. hospitals with the highest revenue sued patients over unpaid medical bills between 2018 and mid-2020.
