She's been fired. She ain't going.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez was appointed by Trump and confirmed by the Senate only four weeks ago.
And now, Trump and RFK Jr want her OUT. Why? For doing her JOB. Seems they just expected her to gut her agency and rubber-stamp their policies. SURPRISE. She won't.
She refused.
So Kennedy fired her. Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Wednesday that Dr. Monarez was "no longer director" of the CDC.
THAT led to a wave of high-level resignations from CDC officials in protest. But Dr. Monarez herself has refused to go.
ABC News reports that the showdown began after Kennedy and Stefanie Spear, his principal deputy chief of staff, demanded that Dr. Monarez support Kennedy's changes to COVID vaccine policy and fire high-level staff at the CDC.
Her lawyers said in a statement, "When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted."
So a White House spokesperson put out a statement saying that Dr. Monarez was indeed terminated, because, "As her attorney's statement makes abundantly clear, Susan Monarez is not aligned with the President's agenda of Making America Healthy Again.
Hmmmm. Stop. Hold up just a minute.
Sooooooooo. "Protecting the public" is not "aligned with the President's agenda"?
Trump's hand-picked White House spokesman, Kush Desai, actually said that out loud?
It may not be "the President's agenda", but it is EXACTLY what Susan Monarez swore under oath to do before Congress, during her confirmation hearings. Only 4 weeks ago.
Dr. Monarez was the second nominee for the position, after Trump's first nominee, Dave Weldon, didn't have the votes because of his history of vaccine skepticism.
Dr. Monarez, during her confirmation hearing, was clear about her support for vaccines: "I think vaccines save lives. I think that we need to continue to support the promotion of utilization of vaccines," she said.
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