FDA Commissioner Marty McCulley is set to resign on Tuesday, according to a White House official. The resignation reportedly stems from “FDA proceedings” rather than a single incident, and it’s said that there’s “no bad blood” between McCulley and President Donald Trump. Additionally, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is believed to have influenced McCulley’s decision to step down.
Kyle Diamantis, who serves as the deputy commissioner for food at the FDA, will take over as acting commissioner following McCulley’s departure.
Recent media reports suggest that McCulley faced increased scrutiny from pro-life advocates and critics who were dissatisfied with his management of key FDA decisions, particularly concerning abortion medication. The Wall Street Journal noted that President Trump had agreed to a plan to replace McCulley, with sources citing concerns about his handling of policies related to abortion and drugs.
When asked about the potential firing of McCulley, Trump acknowledged hearing rumors but claimed to have no direct knowledge of the situation.
The announcement of McCulley’s resignation comes just a day before he was scheduled to testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee. White House officials emphasized that his departure was not linked to any specific probe, although his tenure was marked by controversies over vaccine policies and the approval of mifepristone, the abortion medication. This, in turn, led to frustration among pro-life groups who believed the FDA was lagging in advancing Trump’s health initiatives.
Supporters of pro-life policies had hoped that the Trump administration would reverse the relaxed regulations concerning mifepristone that were put in place under Biden. However, under McCulley’s leadership, the FDA maintained those regulations while also authorizing a generic version of the drug.
Live Action President Lyla Rose expressed her disapproval, urging both Trump and Secretary Kennedy to terminate McCulley’s position and abolish the mail-order abortion program that she believes endangers lives.
A Trump administration official previously characterized McCully’s performance as disastrous, claiming he disregarded the concerns of pro-life advocates. Another source criticized his attitude, describing it as astonishingly arrogant.
McCulley’s resignation follows other significant departures within the administration this year, notably former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and former Attorney General Pam Bondi, underscoring broader turmoil in Trump’s cabinet.
