On Thursday, the Trump administration selected Jim O’Neill, a former biotechnology executive and the deputy to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to serve as the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The pick leaves the nation’s premier public health agency under the leadership of an official without medical or scientific training and seems likely to tighten political control of the agency.
The decision follows a tumultuous few days at the agency in which its new director, Susan Monarez, was fired and several other top officials resigned. The departures were driven by deep disagreement over vaccine policy.
Mr. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine critic, is seeking to transform the nation’s vaccine policy; under his leadership, officials have already limited eligibility for Covid-19 vaccines.
In an email sent to C.D.C. staff on Thursday night, Mr. Kennedy said that he was “committed to working with you to restore trust, transparency and credibility” to the agency. Tapping Mr. O’Neill as acting director would “help advance this mission,” he added.
Mr. O’Neill was confirmed as the deputy secretary of health and human services in June. It was a return to the federal government for Mr. O’Neill, who also worked for the department from 2002 to 2008, under President George W. Bush.
In the interim, Mr. O’Neill carved out a career in Silicon Valley, working closely with Peter Thiel, the billionaire and Republican megadonor. Mr. O’Neill also served as the chief executive of SENS Research Foundation, a longevity nonprofit that aimed to cure aging-related conditions.
Mr. O’Neill has long criticized the Food and Drug Administration as too cautious in approving drugs. He has suggested that the agency approve drugs as soon as they are demonstrated to be safe, even without data on effectiveness.
During the Covid pandemic, he indicated support for a number of unproven coronavirus treatments and preventives, including ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and vitamin D. He has also been critical of vaccine mandates and the Biden administration’s response to the pandemic.
During his confirmation hearing in May, Mr. O’Neill described himself as a strong supporter of vaccines. But under questioning from Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Mr. O’Neill said that he thought Mr. Kennedy was “doing a great job” handling the nation’s ongoing measles outbreak. Mr. Kennedy has repeatedly spread false information about the safety of the M.M.R. vaccine, which protects children against measles.
On Thursday, after Mr. O’Neill was named to his new post, Senator Warren shared a clip of the exchange, writing that Mr. O’Neill, and others in the administration, “can’t be trusted with your health.”
During the hearing, Mr. O’Neill praised President Trump and Mr. Kennedy and seemed supportive of their “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
“Most families try to make healthy choices, but our food system pushes ultraprocessed foods, our official nutrition advice creates confusion, our health care system is difficult to navigate, and it prioritizes pills over prevention,” he said in his opening statement.
He also mentioned his three children. “They’re why I’m here,” he said. “I want them, and every child, to inherit a healthier nation.”
At the time, Democrats expressed concern that Mr. O’Neill would simply rubber-stamp Mr. Trump and Mr. Kennedy’s agenda. After he was named the acting C.D.C. director on Thursday, his lack of medical training also came under fire.
“Has America run out of actual health practitioners with demonstrated experience improving public health outcomes?” Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon and former Biden administration official, wrote in a social media post.
Mr. Kennedy, for his part, previously praised Mr. O’Neill’s unusual background, noting that his Silicon Valley and government experience made him “ideally suited” to turn the Department of Health and Human Services into “a technological innovation powerhouse.”
Apoorva Mandavillicontributed reporting.
Emily Anthes is a science reporter, writing primarily about animal health and science. She also covered the coronavirus pandemic.
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