U.S.Health Secretary Faces Backlash After CDC Purge, Promotes Discredited COVID-19 Treatments
Washington D.C. – U.S.Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. is facing mounting criticism following the dismissal of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez last week, alongside widespread staff cuts at the agency. Kennedy defended the personnel changes, stating, “They did not do their job…Their work was to keep us healthy. I have to dismiss some of these people to make sure it will not happen again.” he characterized the layoffs as “Adjustments absolutely necessary to restore the agency its role as a global ordeal” and called for “New blood“ within the CDC.
The shakeup has triggered resignations from senior CDC officials and sparked concerns about the future of public health leadership in the United States. The CDC, a critical agency responsible for protecting the nation from health threats, is now navigating significant internal turmoil.This comes amid a broader pattern of questioning established scientific consensus under KennedyS leadership.
Kennedy has publicly criticized the nation’s COVID-19 response, alleging it was implemented “Without any science and with increased economic inequality.” He has also championed the use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as “Treatments” against the virus, despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness in preventing or treating COVID-19.
Nine former CDC directors, serving between 1977 and 2025, issued a stark warning in an open letter published Monday in The New York Times. They stated, “What he did to CDCs and the National Health System – especially by deciding to thank Susan Monarez for his post as director – is not like what we have seen at the agency and nothing that our country has crossed.” The former directors concluded with a direct accusation: “Kennedy endangers the health of all Americans.“