The White House announced that CDC Director Susan Monarez has been removed from her post, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
“Since Susan Monarez refused to resign, despite informing HHS leadership of her intent to do so, the White House has terminated Monarez from her position with the CDC,” said White House spokesman Kush Desai in a statement.
“Susan Monarez is not aligned with the President’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again," Desai continued.
The termination is believed to have come as a result of Monarez's refusal to change vaccine policy, The Washington Post reported. Her lawyers slammed the HHS' decision, and were quoted by The Washington Post as saying that the organization was “weaponizing public health for political gain” and “putting millions of American lives at risk” by removing health officials from government.
Monarez's firing was followed by the resignation of several top CDC officials in protest, The Wall Street Journal noted.
Railway regulations board member fired
US President Donald Trump also fired Robert Primus, a board member of the Surface Transportation Board, who regulates and oversees US railroads, on Wednesday, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Primus plans to challenge the termination while continuing his duties as a board member, even though the termination could "adversely affect the freight rail network in a way that may ultimately hurt consumers and the economy," The Wall Street Journal quoted him as saying.
Primus is one of the board members overseeing the current potential merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern Railway, announced at the end of July 2025.