CDC Chaos: Trump Ally, Walkouts & Fired Directors, Oh My!

CDC Chaos: Trump Ally, Walkouts & Fired Directors, Oh My!
Photo by Joana Abreu on Unsplash

In what might be the greatest Health and Human Services reality show yet, Jim O'Neill just got bumped up as acting CDC director after Trump booted Susan Monarez—who refuses to leave like a bad party guest at the agency’s Atlanta HQ. O'Neill, a biotech investor and Peter Thiel BFF, has been scheming with RFK Jr. since last November to 'Make America Healthy Again.' But after a week featuring resignations and staff walkouts, the CDC looks less like a federal agency and more like a viral TikTok challenge in chaos. Meanwhile, Monarez clings on like a LinkedIn pandemic to-do list no one wants to finish.

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Source: Axios | Published: 8/28/2025 | Author: Rebecca Falconer