Trump's FDA Commissioner Makary Announces Resignation Amid Backlash

Marty Makary resigned as FDA Commissioner on May 12, 2026, ending a 13-month tenure that began in late March 2025. His departure follows mounting pressure from multiple directions: the Trump administration pushed him to approve flavored e-cigarettes over his resistance, anti-abortion groups including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America demanded his removal over his slow-walk of a review into abortion drug mifepristone, and pharmaceutical industry CEOs grew frustrated with his regulatory approach.

The immediate trigger appears to be the vaping dispute. Trump administration officials directly confronted Makary over his refusal to approve fruit-flavored e-cigarettes from vaping industry lobbyists — an approval that would have reversed longstanding FDA policy. Makary's departure came as the FDA was already dealing with significant institutional instability following hundreds of agency vacancies created by DOGE-driven mass firings in early 2025.

Deputy commissioner Kyle Diamantas, who oversees the food program, will serve as acting FDA chief. The leadership transition is a material concern for pharmaceutical and biotech companies with pending approvals, particularly those in the drug and device pipeline — the FDA's capacity to process applications has already been strained by staff shortages, and another management disruption at the top adds uncertainty to approval timelines.

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