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Trump planning to fire FDA chief Makary, WSJ reports

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary speaks during a press conference at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 10, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary speaks during a press conference at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 10, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Reuters

President Donald Trump is planning to fire U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The plan, however, is not yet final and could change, the report said.

Makary, a surgical oncologist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, was confirmed as FDA commissioner in March 2025.

He has written bestselling books on healthcare costs and what he described as modern medicine's failures. He has also been a key advocate of the Health and Human Services secretary Robert F Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again movement.

The HHS, which oversees the FDA, did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Over the past week, rumors of Makary's potential exit have intensified, drawing wider attention and fueling speculation.

(Reporting by Padmanabhan Ananthan)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 10:29 AM.

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