Trump to tap White House aide as FDA commissioner
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Heidi Overton, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, during the signing of an executive order on vaccines on Aug. 10. Photo: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump has decided to nominate White House aide Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration, according to a senior administration official.
Why it matters: The agency was left in turmoil after the exit of former commissioner Marty Makary earlier this year, threatening the stability of U.S. drug development.
Context: Overton, currently deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, was one of several candidates that the White House had been considering for weeks.
- Though other top FDA positions still don't have permanent leadership, the senior administration official said more decisions will likely follow closely behind.
- Bloomberg first reported that Overton was the president's choice.
The intrigue: Overton appeared at last week's signing of an executive order calling for an overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule, including slimming down the number of federally recommended shots and splitting up the MMR vaccine into three different shots.
- "We do still recommend the measles vaccine for all children, but we want parents to be informed about the timing and to have the option to separate them out," Overton said at the event.
Between the lines: Overton may not offer the reassurance the pharmaceutical industry was looking for in new leadership, though acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas has taken big steps toward repairing the agency's relationship with industry.
What they're saying: "Overton has degrees but seemingly no real experience running anything. Her claim to fame is having been a Makary protege who has bought further into anti-science and anti-vaccine messaging of elements of MAHA," Raymond James analyst and former Trump health official Chris Meekins told Axios.
- "Industry will view this pick as extremely troublesome and FDA career staff will continue to flee the agency. Any progress made since Makary's departure is likely to be immediately reversed if she is confirmed."
The other side: Brian Blase, president of the Paragon Health Institute, called Overton a "great choice."
- "Heidi has the highest character and is dedicated to improving American well-being and helping American patients get the best possible care," Blase wrote on X.
What we're watching: Whether Overton faces resistance from senators who'll have to vote on her nomination.
- Her participation in last week's vaccine event could in particular anger outgoing Senate health committee chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who called the executive order "wrong."
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
