RFK Jr and the chaos at the CDC

Science Weekly

The Guardian

Science

4.2 • 938 Ratings

🗓️ 2 September 2025

⏱️ 18 minutes

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Summary

It’s been a dramatic week at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the space of seven days, the agency’s head was sacked and replaced by an interim head, four senior staff members resigned, and existing staff took to the streets to express support for their ousted leaders. To understand how everything unfolded and what it could mean for the health of Americans, science editor Ian Sample hears from health reporter Melody Schreiber and former CDC director Mandy Cohen. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is The Guardian.
0:11.0	Ever since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Donald Trump's Secretary for Health
0:16.5	and Human Services, promising to make America healthy again, his agencies have been on a bumpy ride.
0:24.1	It has been an extremely tumultuous time for the health agencies. We've seen mass firings,
0:30.7	something like 10,000 people have been terminated from health agencies since Trump first came in office.
0:40.5	But last week, something extraordinary happened.
0:44.7	It is quite dramatic and very unprecedented.
0:49.4	Susan Monorres, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
0:58.8	the top U.S. agency in charge of public health, was abruptly fired.
1:02.2	Except she said she wasn't going anywhere.
1:13.1	There were several exchanges where White House officials said that she had been fired and where lawyers for Monteris said that they had not received official firing from President Trump. President Trump is the only person who can fire the CDC director.
1:18.9	The White House eventually announced it had done so, quickly putting in place an interim director
1:24.0	with no medical or scientific training. Jim O'Neill, who served as the Deputy Secretary at Health and Human Services,
1:32.3	has now been sworn in as the CDC's new acting director.
1:36.5	O'Neill's appointment comes after days of turmoil and disagreements within the agency
1:41.2	over the Trump administration's vaccine policy.
1:48.0	The chaos comes at a particularly dark time for the CDC,
1:52.7	where health disinformation has left staff fearing for their safety.
1:57.5	CDC staffers say that they have been targeted and harassed. They've been put on watch lists.
2:03.3	They say that from high levels, harassment has not been condemned.
2:08.4	This culminated in a shooting at the agency on the 8th of August by a man reportedly deceived by
2:14.6	vaccine disinformation. He fired over 180 rounds at the CDC headquarters and killed a police officer.
	...

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