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Susan Monarez has been ousted from her job as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just weeks after she was confirmed by the Senate. The abrupt dismissal is the latest in a string of leadership crises for the beleaguered public health organization.

The first news of Monarez’s firing was reported by The Washington Post, which said multiple officials within the Trump administration had confirmed the decision. When asked by Ars Technica, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did not confirm the news but instead sent the news site to an official post on its X account. The post simply read:

Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people. @SecKennedy has full confidence in his team at @CDCgov, who will continue to be vigilant in protecting Americans against infectious diseases at home and abroad.”

The post did not give a reason for the dismissal. The Washington Post reported that Monarez was pressured by the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known anti-vaccine figure, wants to reverse approvals of COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy was reportedly livid that Monarez refused to do so unilaterally without consulting the CDC vaccine advisory committees. The secretary then demanded that she step down, accusing her of failing to back Trump’s policies.

Monarez balked, so she reached out to Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La. ), who had personally helped Kennedy secure his Senate confirmation this year by receiving assurances from him. Cassidy countered Kennedy’s orders, setting off a shouting match. Afterward, administration officials informed Monarez that she must either resign or be terminated.

Her attorneys, Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell, took to social media to post a statement claiming that Monarez had not resigned nor had she received any formal communication from the White House that she was out. “Her ouster came after she refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts,” the statement said. “She chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda.” Zaid later told Ars Technica that Monarez had not received any official termination notice by 8:15 p.m. ET on August 27.

CDC Faces Staff Exodus and Deep Crisis

Monarez’s July confirmation had been hailed as a breakthrough. The vote was 51–47 along party lines. She was the first CDC director ever to be subject to Senate confirmation after a 2022 law mandated the process. Kennedy himself administered her oath of office on July 31. The health secretary praised her “unimpeachable scientific credentials” and expressed optimism that she would help restore the CDC’s credibility.

Monarez has a long and distinguished career. She earned a PhD in microbiology and immunology and served as deputy director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) under the Biden administration. She had also held positions with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the Department of Homeland Security, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the National Security Council. She also served briefly as the CDC’s acting director earlier this year before being formally nominated and stepping down.

Her appointment had been well-received by public health experts. Jennifer Nuzzo of Brown University told Politico that Monarez was “a loyal, hardworking civil servant who leads with evidence and pragmatism.” Georges Benjamin, head of the American Public Health Association, described her as “an excellent researcher and manager.”

Her tenure, however, was short-lived. The CDC has been hemorrhaging hundreds of employees through layoffs and buyouts, with many programs being cut or stymied. Kennedy has contributed to the strife by repeatedly calling COVID-19 vaccines “the deadliest vaccine ever made” and accusing the CDC of being “a cesspool of corruption.”

Compounding the agency’s crisis, a gunman who was radicalized by vaccine misinformation shot up the CDC campus on August 8. Over 500 shots were fired, with some 200 rounds hitting six CDC buildings. The shooter killed one local police officer, and the terrified CDC staff were forced to flee. He was killed by the police. The gunman had also posted online about his own health problems and blamed vaccines. He also said he had targeted the CDC for attacking personal liberties.

Stat News confirmed the resignations of three other high-ranking officials in the wake of Monarez’s removal: Daniel Jernigan, the director of the National Center for Emerging Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; Deb Houry, the CDC’s Chief Medical Officer; and Demetre Daskalakis, head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Daskalakis said in a goodbye message: “I am not able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponization of public health.” Houry’s letter similarly lamented the politicization of science, emphasizing it should “never be censored or subject to political interpretations.”

Hours earlier, Politico had reported that Jennifer Layden, who was director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, had also resigned.

Public health experts and agency employees have watched in alarm as a once-respected agency now faces resignations at the highest level, political meddling, and a legitimacy crisis at a time when threats to public health are growing.