5 Things to Know About Susan Monarez, Trump’s New CDC Nominee

Monarez, the agency’s acting director, would be the first non-physician to become the permanent head of the CDC since the early 1950s.

Susan Monarez. CDC

After rescinding the nomination of Dr. David Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control this month, President Donald Trump named CDC Acting Director Susan Monarez as his nominee to fill the post.

Monarez has served as the CDC interim chief since late January and was previously deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the Biden administration.

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on March 24 that Monarez “brings decades of experience championing Innovation, Transparency, and strong Public Health Systems.”

“As an incredible mother and dedicated public servant, Dr. Monarez understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future,” Trump said.

The CDC is one of 13 agencies managed by HHS.

Earlier this month, Trump withdrew the nomination of Weldon to lead the CDC just before his confirmation hearing was scheduled before the Senate Health, Labor, Education, and Pensions Committee (HELP).

Weldon has frequently questioned the safety of vaccines.

A U.S. Army veteran who represented a Florida district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2009, Weldon told reporters his nomination was rescinded because there were not enough votes to get him confirmed.

Monarez will need to get approval from the HELP committee for advancement to a full Senate floor vote, where she will need simple majority support to get confirmed.

Here are five things to know about Monarez.

1. She Would Be A Trendsetter

Monarez is not a physician, but she has a Ph.D. in microbiology and immunology.

If confirmed, she would be the first non-physician to become the permanent head of the CDC since the early 1950s.

“She has a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, and postdoctoral training in microbiology and immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine,” Trump noted in his March 24 Truth Social post. “Dr. Monarez understands the importance of protecting our children, our communities, and our future.”

If Monarez gains approval, it would mark the first time that the CDC director’s role has received Senate confirmation.

The CDC director’s position didn’t require the confirmation process until the passage of a 2023 omnibus bill that featured a GOP-backed provision mandating that the CDC director “shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.”

2. She Has White House Experience

Monarez previously worked at the White House in the Office of Science and Technology Policy, on the National Security Council, and at the Department of Homeland Security, according to her CDC biography.

“[She led] efforts to enhance the nation’s biomedical innovation capabilities, including combating antimicrobial resistance, expanding the use of wearables to promote patient health, ensuring personal health data privacy, and improving pandemic preparedness,” the biography reports.

“She has also held leadership positions at the Department of Homeland Security and has led numerous international cooperative initiatives to promote bilateral and multilateral health innovation research and development,” the biography states.

Monarez was most recently deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, a research funding agency within HHS that supports “transformative biomedical and health breakthroughs.”

3. She Has the Support of RFK Jr.

After Trump announced Monarez as the nominee, multiple social media posts claimed that she supported COVID-19 mandates and vaccines.

Kennedy took to X on March 25 to defend her.

“X posts that erroneously attribute Biden-era tweets supporting masks, lockdowns, vaccine mandates, etc. to my @CDCgov Director nominee, Susan Monarez, have understandably provoked agita within the MAHA movement,” Kennedy wrote.

“I handpicked Susan for this job because she is a longtime champion of MAHA values, and a caring, compassionate and brilliant microbiologist and a tech wizard who will reorient CDC toward public health and gold-standard science. I’m so grateful to President Trump for making this appointment,” he added.

4. She Has Carried Out Trump Directives

Monarez was named acting director of the CDC in January while Weldon was going through the confirmation process.

As the agency’s acting lead, Monarez implemented directives from the White House to eliminate anything related to gender ideology on the CDC’s website.

Monarez will likely face scrutiny from senators over decisions made by the agency since the Trump administration took over, including questions on delaying a meeting of vaccine advisers; CDC webpages that were taken down to comply with Trump’s executive orders to remove references to gender ideology and diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the agency’s response to a measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico in recent weeks.

Monarez has also overseen the mass layoffs of more than 700 staff members.

In February, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was postponed following the White House’s communication freeze order.

According to the Associated Press, current and former CDC employees have said that Monarez has been a “conduit for HHS directives.”

5. She'll Address Measles, Bird Flu, and Vaccines

If Monarez gains Senate confirmation, she will keep leading the response to public health threats that include the measles outbreak in west Texas and New Mexico, and the bird flu.

The Atlanta-based CDC, with an annual budget of $17.3 billion, tracks and responds to domestic and foreign threats to public health. Around two-thirds of its budget funds the public health and prevention activities of state and local agencies.

It is also responsible for making vaccine recommendations for Americans, including by setting the childhood vaccination schedule, and funding vaccines for children who otherwise would not have access to them.

While Weldon’s views on advocating for vaccine safety are widely known, it is unclear where Monarez stands.

Some senators will also likely question her over Kennedy’s previous comments on vaccines and whether the agency plans to take any action on vaccines.

If confirmed, Monarez would continue to report to Kennedy as the agency’s permanent director.

Critics have criticized Kennedy by calling him an “anti-vaxxer.” The former Democratic then independent presidential candidate has consistently said he is not against vaccines, adding that he is an advocate for vaccine safety, informed consent, and nonpartisan studies of vaccine efficacy.

“I’ve never been anti-vaccine,” Kennedy told The Epoch Times in September 2024. “People should have a choice, and that choice should be informed by the best information possible. I’m going to ensure that there are science-based safety studies available, and people can make their own assessments about whether a vaccine is good for them.”

American Public Health Association executive director Dr. Georges Benjamin said in an email to the Associated Press that Monarez has “strong respect for science-based decision making, has successfully worked in government, has managed programs in complex environments and is an expert in infectious disease. If confirmed, I look forward to working with her.”

Emel Akan, Zachary Stieber, Jack Phillips, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.