(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he has nominated White House Domestic Policy Council Deputy Director Heidi Overton to be the next commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
“Dr. Heidi has been a ROCKSTAR in my Administration, where she has worked directly with Secretary Kennedy, Dr. Oz, and team, to deliver on the MOST TRANSFORMATIVE Health Agenda in History,” Trump said in a social media post, adding that he wants her “leadership at the FDA now to ensure that the U.S. remains the WORLD LEADER for Scientific Discovery and CURES.”
Overton has been Trump’s deputy assistant during his second term, advising him on health policies, including lowering prescription drug prices. Overton has stood alongside Trump for several major health announcements at the White House, including his executive order signing on childhood vaccines earlier this month.
She has espoused anti-abortion views and supported reductions to the childhood immunization schedule, touting the use of “gold-standard science” and restoring vaccination authority to parents while at that executive order signing.
Overton is a physician who holds a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to that role, she was vice chair of the America First Policy Institute’s (AFPI) Center for a Healthy America, where Overton was also the chief policy officer, a nonprofit that aims to advance policies that it says put the American people first. AFPI was run by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins before Rollins was tapped to join the president’s Cabinet. Several Trump administration officials held positions there before he was reelected, including Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
The FDA is one of several agencies under the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy expressed his support for Overton on Wednesday, calling her the “best person for the job.”
“Heidi brings exceptional judgment, professionalism, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to the American people,” Kennedy wrote in a social media post. “I have seen her challenge assumptions, demand excellence, and turn bold ideas into meaningful results.”
The FDA commissioner position requires Senate confirmation. During confirmation hearings, Overton is expected to face questions that will test her loyalty to the president, similar to previous confirmation hearings for Trump administration health leaders.
If confirmed, Overton is expected to continue to support the president’s health agenda.
“She’s gonna stay in line because she’s tested,” a source familiar told ABC News. “She’s a loyalist to the president. That’s kind of his thinking behind all of this — to keep loyalists in these top jobs.”
The job is one of the nation’s top health posts and has remained without permanent leadership amid the foodborne illness outbreaks of cyclospora and salmonella.
A senior administration official told ABC News that acting commissioner Kyle Diamantas was offered the full-time job several times and declined. Diamantas, who has been leading the investigation into the health outbreaks, has been touted as the driving force behind the administration’s food policy and stressed that America’s food supply is safe despite consumers’ health concerns.
Overton will ultimately be replacing former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, who resigned in May amid clashes with the White House over pressure from Trump to authorize fruit-flavored vapes. FDA employees, who previously spoke to ABC News on the condition of anonymity, said that they were concerned about the future of the agency’s leadership after Makary’s exit. They said the angst stems from a rollercoaster-like experience, including witnessing 20% of the FDA’s staff being reduced during the president’s second term.
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