Marty Makary Resigns As FDA Commissioner, Kyle Diamantas Takes Over As Acting Commissioner

Dr. Marty Makary resigned as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, ending a 13-month tenure that multiple outlets tied to political and regulatory clashes.

“Trump’s FDA chief is out after angering pharma CEOs, vaping lobbyists and anti-abortion activists Trump’s FDA chief is out after angering pharma CEOs, vaping lobbyists and anti-abortion activists WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr”

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Trump said, “Marty is a great guy. He's a friend of mine. He's a wonderful man, and he's going to be off and the assistant, the deputy, is taking over temporarily,” as he spoke at the White House ahead of a trip to meet China's President Xi Jinping.

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NBC News reported that Kyle Diamantas, the FDA’s top food regulator, would take over as acting commissioner, and that Diamantas is a lawyer without a medical degree.

NPR said the resignation ended a 13-month tenure marked by turmoil, and it cited a Senate confirmation of Makary on March 25, 2025.

In a Truth Social post, Makary wrote, “I announced 50 major FDA reforms. Joe Biden’s FDA had none.”

Several reports linked Makary’s exit to disputes over fruit-flavored e-cigarettes, with NBC News saying the FDA authorized fruit-flavored vapes for adults in the U.S. after months of pressure from the industry and the president.

NPR quoted a federal health official saying, “It came down to the fruit-flavored vape issue,” and it described White House pressure on Makary to authorize flavored e-cigarettes earlier this month.

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AP reported that anti-abortion activists accused Makary of slow-walking an internal review of the abortion pill mifepristone, which has been on the market for 25 years, while Republicans sought to roll back rules allowing mail-order access.

The Washington Post’s opinion piece described Makary’s approach to vaping and vaccines as inconsistent, saying he “took a less evidence-based approach toward vaccines,” even as he pushed for “intense rigor on vaping and cutting-edge medicines.”

NBC News also said Makary faced pressure on mifepristone, with a source close to Health and Human Services leadership saying officials pushed for tighter restrictions on the pill and that Makary chose to resign ahead of congressional testimony Wednesday rather than publicly defend a position he didn’t support.

With Makary gone, multiple outlets said Kyle Diamantas would lead the FDA in an acting capacity, and NBC News described him as the FDA’s top food regulator who would take over as acting commissioner.

Politico reported that the decision followed policy fights with lawmakers, drugmakers and President Donald Trump, and it said the administration official attributed the call to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

AP said a permanent replacement would need to be nominated by Trump and confirmed by the Senate, while it described the FDA as juggling competing priorities that straddle science and politics.

The Washington Post framed the leadership transition as a “much-needed opportunity to reset the critical agency,” and it warned that the next director would need to clear the health committee chaired by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana).

In a separate account, Vox said Makary’s departure left HHS without a confirmed CDC director, FDA commissioner, or surgeon general, and it described the immediate acting role for Kyle Diamantis as the deputy commissioner for food.