Marty Makary resigns as FDA commissioner after internal tensions

Washington — Marty Makary resigned as Food and Drug Administration commissioner Tuesday, stepping down amid a swirl of reports that his term was coming to an end due to internal policy disagreements.

His departure follows reports of conflicts and tensions regarding the FDA program. On May 6, the FDA approved certain flavored e-cigarettes of vaping company Glas Inc., and touted its safety restrictions to limit use by young people. According to the Wall Street Journal, the move came only after Mr. Trump pressured Makary to endorse fruit-flavored vapes, which he had refused to do.

A source familiar with the matter told CBS News that Makary was resigning over the e-cigarette conflict, adding that the commissioner did not want to approve flavored varieties but was pressured to do so by others in the administration.

CBS News and other media outlets have reported in recent days that President Trump had signed a plan to fire him. Makary did not appear in the Oval Office Monday alongside the president and other top public health officials for an event on maternal health.

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday afternoon, the president said he did not want to discuss the circumstances of Makary’s departure but called him a “great guy” and a “friend of mine.”

“Marty is a great guy, but he’s going to go on and he’s going to live a great life,” Mr. Trump said. “He was having difficulties. You know, he’s a great doctor. And he was having difficulties. But he’s going to continue and he’s going to do well.”

Later in the afternoon, the president posted on Truth Social a screenshot of a text from Makary announcing his resignation. “It has been the honor of my life to serve as FDA Commissioner. I will be forever grateful,” he wrote.

In another message, the president said Kyle Diamantas, the deputy food commissioner, would assume Makary’s role on an acting basis.

Makary’s resignation is the latest shake-up at the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the FDA. Vaccine chief Vinay Prasad – a Makary ally – recently left for a second time.

Makary was scheduled to testify Wednesday at the Capitol. Diamantas is expected to testify instead of Makary, according to a source.

The FDA commissioner is responsible for, among other things, overseeing and regulating drugs, vaccines and tobacco. The FDA regulates one-fifth of consumer spending in the United States, making it a powerful agency within American public health.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who served as FDA commissioner for two years during Mr. Trump’s first term, said “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” Sunday called the role a “very difficult job,” and noted that the upheaval at the FDA since last year has been detrimental.

“There’s been a lot of departures from the agency. You’ve seen political appointees move into positions that are typically leadership positions, running the medical product centers, the drug center and the biologics center,” Gottlieb said. “So I think cumulatively it’s taken a toll on the agency, and this continued speculation that we saw on Friday, I think, is just going to be another step down.”

Makary, a British-American surgeon, was confirmed to lead the FDA in March 2025. He was a strong supporter of the Make America Healthy Again movement and had been highly critical of the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vaping issue wasn’t the only one causing friction for Makary. Conservatives and anti-abortion groups also sought to oust Makary after she pressured the FDA to take action on the abortion drug mifepristone.

In 2021, the Biden administration allowed women to receive the pills by telehealth and by mail. THE majority of women who terminate their pregnancies do so through medical abortions.

Last June, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asked Makary to goodbye mifepristone to review “concrete results and evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of the drug.”

In December, it was reported that he had slowed down the study, and soon after, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and other conservatives called for Makary’s firing.

The group called for an immediate study and later accused Makary of “seriously undermining” Mr. Trump and Vance on the issue.

“Makary needs to go,” SBA Pro-Life America said at the time.