Summary: The Trump administration is accelerating efforts to refill senior posts at HHS after months of instability under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Officials expect an FDA nominee within weeks and are reshuffling senior staff to repair relations and calm industry concerns. The White House has steered HHS away from divisive vaccine-focused priorities toward mainstream issues like drug pricing and insurance affordability. Finding a candidate acceptable to both the president and Kennedy — while limiting public drama — remains a major challenge.
White House Rushes to Stabilize HHS Leadership — FDA Nominee Expected Within Weeks
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during a hearing with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce subcommittee, at the Rayburn House Office Building on April 21. - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The Trump administration is racing to fill a widening leadership void at the Department of Health and Human Services after months of turmoil that have eroded public confidence and raised Republican concerns ahead of the midterm elections.
What’s Happening
Senior officials expect to name a nominee for Food and Drug Administration commissioner within weeks as part of a broader effort to steady the agency, a senior administration official told CNN. The White House is also planning a shakeup of senior FDA staff to repair relations with the agency’s workforce and ease concerns across the health care sector.
Broader HHS Shakeup
Alongside the FDA search, the administration is pushing for rapid confirmations of conventional picks for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the surgeon general — moves that follow repeated setbacks advancing candidates closely tied to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement.
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary listens as President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on December 18, 2025. - Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Officials say the White House has increasingly weighed in on HHS decision-making, encouraging Kennedy to shift away from divisive focuses like vaccines toward more mainstream priorities such as drug pricing and health insurance affordability. That pivot has frustrated some MAHA supporters, who worry the base’s policy priorities are being sidelined.
Personnel Fallout
FDA commissioner Marty Makary resigned earlier this week amid pressure from the White House and allies. More departures from Makary’s leadership team are expected as part of a sweeping review of the agency’s operations. Rich Danker, a senior HHS communications official who worked with Makary, resigned during the review, and HHS Director of Public Strategy Mitchell Hailstone also left the department in recent weeks.
“It needs a lot of sorting out,” said GOP pollster Whit Ayres of the turmoil at HHS. “It’s not exactly a well-oiled machine.”
Political Stakes
The urgency reflects political calculations ahead of the November midterms, when Republicans risk losing control of Congress and exposing the administration to intensified scrutiny. The administration hopes that installing more conventional, experienced leaders will restore credibility with voters, calm industry concerns, and reduce internal friction.
Casey Means testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing on February 25. - Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
But finding a candidate who satisfies both President Trump and Secretary Kennedy — while balancing pressures from GOP lawmakers, pharmaceutical industry stakeholders, and energized MAHA activists — will be difficult. “The job is still impossible,” said Steven Grossman, a former HHS official. “The most we can hope for is it won’t be badly done.”
What Comes Next
Officials privately hope to narrow the list of FDA candidates in days and recommend a permanent commissioner to the president by early June. Senior HHS officials plan to announce a slate of new appointees alongside an FDA nominee, following the model used to stabilize the CDC earlier this year.
In the meantime, the department is also managing a hantavirus outbreak and other public health responsibilities while trying to limit public drama and restore operational stability.
Statement: HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the department continues “to operate under solid leadership” and that the administration is seeking experienced candidates who can strengthen operations and maintain public trust.
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