Trump reportedly plans to fire FDA commissioner marty makary

At a glance:

• President Trump has reportedly approved a plan to remove FDA commissioner Marty Makary.
• The move follows a weekend scolding over delays in approving flavored vape products.
• No acting director has been named and the decision remains tentative, according to insiders.

What the reports say

Multiple outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, and Politico, have cited inside sources that President Donald Trump has signed off on a plan to fire FDA commissioner Marty Makary. The sources stress that the plan is not yet final and could be altered before any formal announcement. The administration has not disclosed who would step in as acting director should Makary depart, leaving the leadership vacuum at the agency unresolved.

Makary’s turbulent year at the FDA

Makary’s tenure has been marked by a series of high‑profile controversies. Over the past twelve months the FDA has faced intense scrutiny over:

• DOGE cuts that affected drug pricing.
• Ongoing personnel drama and high‑level resignations.
• Contentious vaccine approvals and gene‑therapy decisions.
• Oversight of the abortion pill and related legal battles.
• Vape regulation, particularly the approval of flavored nicotine products. These issues have placed the agency in a state of “turmoil and controversy,” according to the reporting.

The vape‑flavor showdown

According to the Journal, Trump scolded Makary over a weekend for not moving quickly enough to green‑light flavored vapes and nicotine products. Advisors described Makary as a roadblock to the president’s campaign promise to “save vaping.”

Makary was specifically reported to have blocked three flavors from Los Angeles‑based manufacturer Glas:

• Menthol
• Mango
• Blueberry The administration argued that these flavors could attract youth to vaping. After pressure from the White House, the FDA authorized the three flavors on a Tuesday, effectively reversing Makary’s earlier stance.

Political fallout and agency instability

If Makary is removed, the action would add to a growing list of vacancies across health agencies overseen by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is known for his anti‑vaccine stance. Recent departures have included senior leaders at the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The CDC currently operates without a director, and the United States lacks a surgeon general, underscoring a broader leadership crisis.

Industry and insider reactions

Top administration officials have described Makary as struggling to balance agency responsibilities with the president’s policy agenda. In addition to the vaping dispute, pharmaceutical companies have lodged complaints about his regulatory approach, suggesting friction on multiple fronts. Insiders say the decision to fire Makary is as much about political alignment as it is about perceived performance failures.

What comes next?

While the plan to dismiss Makary has been signed off, the absence of an announced acting director means the FDA could face operational uncertainty for weeks. Observers note that any successor will inherit a agency already under fire from both industry stakeholders and public health advocates. The situation also raises questions about the future of the administration’s broader health‑policy agenda, especially in areas where the White House has taken an unconventional stance, such as vaping and vaccine regulation.