Former President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Susan Monarez to serve as the permanent director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Monarez, who is currently serving as the agency’s acting director, would become the first nonphysician to lead the CDC in over 50 years if confirmed by the Senate.
Trump’s decision comes after withdrawing his initial nominee, Dr. Dave Weldon, just hours before Weldon’s confirmation hearing.
As reported by The New York Times’ Apoorva Mandavilli and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Monarez brings a strong background in infectious disease research to the role. Her career spans multiple key federal agencies. According to Newsweek’s Gabe Whisnant and Adeola Adeosun, she previously served as deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and held positions at the Department of Homeland Security and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
This nomination also marks a procedural milestone: Monarez would be the first CDC director subject to Senate confirmation, following a 2022 legislative change. Prior to this, CDC directors could assume their roles immediately upon presidential appointment without Senate approval.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump noted that Monarez will collaborate closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who currently heads the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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