Trump picks Nesheiwat for surgeon general, Makary, Weldon for FDA, CDC : Shots

In a series of high-profile announcements Friday night, President-elect Trump made his picks for the top three health jobs in his new administration.

Johns Hopkins University surgeon Marty McCurry has been selected to head the Food and Drug Administration. He wants former Florida Republican Rep. Dave Weldon to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fox News contributor Dr. Janet Neshewat is considered to be the next Surgeon General.

Trump made all three announcements on Truth Social and in press releases. These selections will help the next president re-prioritize the agency that is the cornerstone of public health. But the choice also comes with controversy.

Dr. Marty McQuarrie as FDA Commissioner

Dr. Marty McCurry, 2018.

Noam Garay/Getty Images for HBO/Getty Images

hide caption

toggle caption

Noam Garay/Getty Images for HBO/Getty Images

The selection of McCurry, a Johns Hopkins University surgical oncologist, for the FDA’s top job was unexpected given his work in the first Trump administration on issues such as surprise medical billing. isn’t it. He also recent statements It shows support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, and support for President Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform.

Earlier this year, Mr. McCulley appeared alongside Mr. Kennedy. at a parliamentary roundtable On health and nutrition, he criticized federal health agencies for not prioritizing chronic diseases, saying, “The biggest perpetrator of misinformation is the U.S. government with its food pyramid.”

“We have the most overmedicated and sickest population in the world, and no one is talking about the root causes,” he said. “We have poisoned the food supply.”

In the announcement, President Trump said that McCulley will work with Kennedy to “adequately assess and eliminate the harmful chemicals that contaminate our nation’s food supply and the drugs and biologicals that are being administered to our nation’s young people.” “We can tackle the epidemic of chronic childhood diseases in an effective manner.”

McCurry, who frequently appears on Fox News, has written several books on health care, is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, and holds a master’s degree in public health from Harvard University. He gained attention for his writing and research on topics such as high medical costs, medical errors, and the need for greater transparency in health care, among other topics.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has also emerged as a vocal critic of various aspects of the public health response, particularly vaccine mandates and mandatory vaccinations. what he called “Complete abandonment of natural immunity.”

he Support that speaks out We imposed lockdowns early in the pandemic and encouraged universal mask-wearing. However, in subsequent years he increasingly candid Oppose certain coronavirus-related decisions by federal health agencies. he called CDC Under the Biden administration, it has become “the most political CDC in history.”

Dr. Dave Weldon appointed as CDC Director

Dave Weldon, 2005, Congressman.

Joe Radle/Getty Images

hide caption

toggle caption

Joe Radle/Getty Images

Weldon, who was nominated by President Trump to serve as CDC commissioner, is a physician, military veteran, and Republican who served in the House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009.

In Weldon’s announcement, President Trump said, “The American people have lost confidence in the CDC and federal health authorities, which have engaged in censorship, data manipulation, and misinformation. Given the current chronic health crisis in our country. “The CDC must step up its efforts.” Correct past mistakes and focus on disease prevention. ”

Weldon will be the first nominee for CDC director, as legislation passed in 2022 requires Senate confirmation.

“He is a well-trained internist and practicing medicine,” said Dr. George Benjamin, president of the American Public Health Association. “He won’t [seem to] They have traditional public health training, but they will learn more when he is confirmed by the Senate. ”

As a congressman from Florida, Mr. Weldon “worked with the CDC to enact anti-patenting laws on human embryos,” Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Mr. Weldon also introduced protections for health care providers and organizations that do not provide or support abortions. The provision, known as the Weldon Amendment, has been attached to HHS spending bills introduced in Congress every year since 2005.

The Weldon Amendment and related policies apply to public funds. However, according to Guttmacher Institutea research group that supports abortion rights, which also “encourages health insurance plans, medical institutions, and health care providers to deny abortion services and insurance coverage…in many cases.” in the name of protecting “freedom of conscience” and “freedom of religion.” ”

Trump said Weldon will “take pride in restoring the CDC to its true purpose and work to end the chronic disease epidemic” and will “prioritize transparency, competency, and high standards.” .

Dr. Janet Neshewat appointed Surgeon General

Dr. Janet Neshewat attends the 2023 FOX Nation Patriot Awards at the Grand Ole Opry on November 16, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

hide caption

toggle caption

Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

Like several of Trump’s Cabinet picks, Trump’s new Surgeon General has experience at Fox News.

Nesheiwat He is a medical contributor to the network and author of the following books: Beyond the Stethoscope: A Medical MiracleThe book is described on her website as a “vivid Christian memoir” that details her experiences during and after the pandemic. She is also the medical director of CityMD, a network of urgent care centers in New York and New Jersey. Sell ​​your own vitamin supplement series.

President Trump praised Neshewat’s work on “the front lines in New York City” during the pandemic and after natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Joplin tornado.

While appearing on Fox News, she said: emphasized Benefits of getting been vaccinated against New coronavirus infection and others infectious disease.

“She is committed to ensuring Americans have access to affordable, quality health care and empowering individuals to help them live longer, healthier lives,” President Trump said in a statement. “We believe in empowering people to take control of their health.”

Jane Greenhalgh, Scott Hensley, Pien Huang and Diane Webber contributed to this report.