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.
Subscribe to 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.
-
June 28 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include stupid wars, a critical media, and mask standards
-
Thai fish pie with crispy turmeric potatoes recipe
The Week Recommends Tasty twist on the Lancashire hot pot is given a golden glow
-
Palestine Action: protesters or terrorists?
Talking Point Damaging RAF equipment at Brize Norton blurs line between activism and sabotage, but proscription is a drastic step
-
Trump's strikes on Iran: a 'spectacular success'?
In Depth Military humiliations 'expose the brittleness' of Tehran's ageing regime, but risk reinforcing its commitment to its nuclear program
-
Will NATO countries meet their new spending goal?
today's big question The cost of keeping Trump happy
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Bibi's back: what will Netanyahu do next?
Today's Big Question Riding high after a series of military victories, Israel's PM could push for peace in Gaza – or secure his own position with snap election