Trump Picks White House Aide to Lead FDA

President Donald J. Trump has nominated a White House advisor and board-certified physician in public health and general preventive medicine to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In a Truth Social post, President Trump called Dr. Heidi Overton, M.D., Ph.D., a wonderful “ROCKSTAR” who will help his administration Make America Healthy Again. “Dr. Heidi has been a ROCKSTAR in my Administration, where she has worked directly with Secretary Kennedy, Dr. Oz, and team to deliver on the MOST TRANSFORMATIVE Health Agenda in History. Dr. Heidi will work with Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Oz to RAPIDLY deliver on my priorities of FASTER Cures, INCREASED American Innovation, MAJOR Clinical Trial Reforms, LOWER Drug Prices, and even more MAHA WINS! Dr. Overton will continue putting AMERICA FIRST, and creating a HEALTHY AMERICA.”

Dr. Overton was a White House Fellow in 2019-2020 and was chief policy officer at America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a conservative think tank founded in 2021. She is currently deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, which supervises the development, coordination, and execution of domestic policy, offers advice to the President, and represents his priorities to Congress, according to the White House website.

During her AFPI tenure, Dr. Overton lauded the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade (legalizing abortion), saying the decision would “allow Americans to reevaluate the value of the potential of every baby in the womb and choose life through a democratic process.”

“She is SMART and RESPECTED by all!” President Trump declared in his post. “She is known to take on the HARDEST issues, and bring me solutions that work best for the Country. Heidi is ‘ALWAYS RIGHT,’ Secretary Kennedy recently said in the Oval Office! We need her leadership at the FDA now to ensure that the U.S. remains the WORLD LEADER for Scientific Discovery and CURES.”

Dr. Overton’s nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. If affirmed, she would replace Dr. Marty Makary, who resigned from the position in May.

At least two U.S. Senators, however, have expressed reservations about Trump’s choice for the job. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (the panel overseeing Overton’s nomination), said he has “strong concerns.”

“While I respect Dr. Overton’s experience as a physician, I have strong concerns about her nomination to be FDA Commissioner,” Cassidy posted on X. “Her lack of managerial experience does not prepare her well for leading a large organization that is already dealing with staffing and morale issues. Additionally, Dr. Overton’s active role in last week’s nonsensical vaccine executive order calls into question her commitment to standing up for sound science and protecting children’s health. That alone is almost disqualifying.”

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who also serves on the Senate HELP Committee, plans to oppose Dr. Overton’s nomination. “Heidi Overton is a far-right, anti-abortion extremist who has no business leading the FDA,” the senator said on X. “The American people deserve someone who will put science and facts FIRST, not another Trump sycophant who will make it their mission to attack medication abortion. I will vote NO.”

Dr. Overton graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in health, medicine, and human values from the University of New Mexico and earned her medical degree from the UNM School of Medicine. She has a Ph.D. in clinical investigation from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Scott Whitaker, president/CEO of AdvaMed, the medtech association, promised to work with Dr. Overton if she is confirmed to advance medical technology. 

“We look forward to continuing our work with FDA under Dr. Overton’s leadership if she is confirmed by the Senate. As a medical doctor with a background in public health, she has a deep understanding of the critical role medical technology plays in lowering cost and improving patient outcomes. The transformative nature of medtech helps ensure that patients are in control of their own health and doctors are empowered to treat patients with the most innovative technologies. It is essential that we continue the progress we have made to ensure that transparency, consistency, and predictability remain the hallmarks of the review process at CDRH. We also want to thank Kyle Diamantas for his steady leadership during this period of transition.”