Donald Trump’s dangerous Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy got even more dangerous to the public health of Americans by firing Susan Monarez, the recently-confirmed Trump-appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. America is marching itself right into the dark ages, proudly wearing red caps and ignoring science.
Monarez, who holds a Ph.D. in animal infectious diseases, is a career expert in infectious disease research. Kennedy’s only science degree is in quackery and people will die because of his actions, just like those kids in Texas who needlessly died of measles because their parents tragically believed his baseless warnings against the safe and effective vaccine.
Because Monarez rightly pointed she was a Senate-confirmed presidential appointee and could not just be fired on a whim by the secretary over her support for life-saving vaccines, Trump stepped in and fired her directly, leaving the CDC leaderless as flu season approaches and pathogens like measles spring up again around the U.S.
The White House says, as it often does when firing high level officials, that Monarez was not in line with the administration’s “mission,” though they don’t often get into defining this mission in plain terms, except don’t make waves and accept whatever deadly claptrap Bobby Kennedy wants.
When he nominated her, Trump said “Dr. Monarez brings decades of experience championing Innovation, Transparency, and strong Public Health Systems. Dr. Monarez understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future. Americans have lost confidence in the CDC due to political bias and disastrous mismanagement. Dr. Monarez will work closely with our GREAT Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert Kennedy Jr. Together, they will prioritize Accountability, High Standards, and Disease Prevention to finally address the Chronic Disease Epidemic and, MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN!”
Never mind.
Several top career physicians and scientists have also quit CDC, for they, like Monarez, refused to practice the bad medicine that RFK demands, particularly around vaccines, which RFK has spent years lying about to fuel his Children’s Health Defense outfit, which makes money spreading falsehoods about vaccines.
In a just and sane world, RFK would be the one being fired by Trump and Monarez would be the one being championed by the White House.
This is happening as the Trump/RFK FDA is now limiting who can get a COVID shot this year. Recall it was Trump himself who spearheaded the COVID vax in his Operation Warp Speed in 2020. But that doesn’t matter.
So out the window with the expertise of Monarez and her professional colleagues and instead rely on the conspiracy theories of RFK.
The CDC is in chaos, with a walkout in response to the White House meddling and the fact that the administration has put them in the position of effectively going against the functions that they signed up for to protect public health and save lives.
These people were trying to do everything in their power to curb the spread of disease, a battle in which vaccines are and have long been the most potent weapon. What Trump should remember is viruses can’t be intimidated nor hold a political ideology; when Americans are sick and dying from preventable illness, they’ll know full well at whose feet to lay the blame.
