Trump pulls nomination of anti-vax CDC pick
Former Florida congressmen Dr. Dave Weldon was nominated to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
What happened
The White House Thursday withdrew the nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon, a vaccine skeptic and former Florida congressmen, to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Senate health committee announced Weldon's pulled nomination an hour before his confirmation hearing was scheduled to begin.
Who said what
Weldon said the White House told him Wednesday night there were "not enough votes to get me confirmed" in the Republican-led health committee. It was a "rare setback" for a Trump nominee in a Senate that has confirmed "every controversial choice brought to a full vote," The Washington Post said. Weldon's withdrawal was "partly driven by concerns about the political consequences" of his "longtime promotion of the false claim that vaccines can cause autism," especially during a growing measles outbreak that's "become a cautionary tale for the consequences of low immunization rates."
Weldon would have been the "first CDC director nominee to have to go through Senate confirmation — the result of a provision in a law passed during the Biden administration," The Associated Press said. Had he been confirmed, Weldon and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a fellow vaccine skeptic, would have wielded enormous control over U.S. vaccine policy.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
It is "unclear" if the White House has a "backup candidate" in mind, The New York Times said. The CDC is being led in the interim by acting director Dr. Susan Monarez, recently the deputy director of the HHS's new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
Political cartoons for October 25Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include hospital bill trauma, Independence Day, and more
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
Ukraine: Donald Trump pivots againIn the Spotlight US president apparently warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Vladimir Putin’s terms or face destruction during fractious face-to-face
-
‘Congratulations on your house, but maybe try a greyhound instead’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump wants to exert control over federal architectureThe Explainer Beyond his ballroom, Trump has several other architectural plans in mind
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Whistles emerge as Chicago’s tool to fight ICEIN THE SPOTLIGHT As federal agents continue raiding the city, communities have turned to noisemakers to create a warning system
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
