Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to serve
as CDC director
[April 17, 2026]
By MIKE STOBBE
President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated Erica Schwartz, a former
deputy surgeon general, to be the next director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
In a social media post, Trump described Schwartz as “incredibly
talented” and said, "She is a STAR!"
The Atlanta-based CDC, which is charged with protecting Americans from
preventable health threats, has been in turmoil since Trump returned to
office more than a year ago, with a succession of mostly temporary
leaders.
The agency is overseen by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who
had promised not to change the nation’s vaccination schedule. But
shortly after taking office, Kennedy said he was going to investigate
the childhood vaccine schedule and went on to attempt a substantial
rewrite of vaccine recommendations for kids. Some of those efforts were
put on hold recently by a federal judge.
The administration’s first pick to run the CDC was former Florida
congressman Dr. David Weldon, but his March 2025 Senate confirmation
hearing was canceled an hour before it was to begin. Weldon said at the
time that he’d been told not enough senators were willing to vote for
him.
The White House then moved on to Susan Monarez, who had been serving as
the CDC’s acting director. Monarez was confirmed by the Senate, but she
was ousted in less than a month. Trump administration officials said she
wasn’t aligned with their agenda so they terminated her.
Several key CDC scientific leaders resigned in protest, saying Monarez’s
dismissal dashed their hopes that a CDC director would be able to guard
against political meddling in the agency’s scientific research and
health recommendations.
Since then, there’s been a revolving door in agency leadership, with the
short-term role of acting director being passed from one
Washington-based HHS official to another. National Institutes of Health
Director Jay Bhattacharya has been overseeing the CDC the past several
weeks.
During a House Appropriations Committee hearing Thursday, Kennedy said
the new CDC team was “extraordinary.”
“I think this new team is really going to be able to revolutionize CDC
and get it back on track,” he said.
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 Schwartz holds multiple academic
credentials, including both medical and law degrees. Her career has
largely been spent in military uniform, including in a leadership
position at the U.S. Coast Guard where she oversaw the
organization's system of 41 clinics and 150 sick bays.
She later served as deputy surgeon general, where
she helped lead uniformed medical and health professionals posted at
the CDC and government health agencies that serve the general
public.
Schwartz could not be reached for comment.
Trump also announced the appointment of Sean Slovenski, a former
Walmart executive, as CDC deputy director and chief operating
officer. Dr. Jennifer Shuford, Texas health commissioner, was named
the CDC's deputy director and chief medical officer. And Dr. Sara
Brenner, a former Food and Drug Administration administrator, was
designated as a senior counselor for public health to Kennedy.
In a social media post Thursday, Kennedy congratulated Schwartz and
the other appointees and said he looks “forward to working together
to restore trust, accountability, and scientific integrity” at the
CDC.
But Aaron Siri, a lawyer and ally of Kennedy in attacking vaccines
and pharmaceutical companies, criticized Schwartz's selection. In a
social media post, Siri lambasted Schwartz's past promotion of
vaccinations and said “she lacks the basic ethics and morals to lead
the CDC.”
Schwartz's nomination comes as Dr. Casey Means, Trump’s pick for
another key health-related role, U.S. surgeon general, has had
difficulty getting confirmed.
Means' languishing nomination after appearing for a confirmation
hearing in February reflects the skepticism that lawmakers of both
parties have expressed toward the direction Kennedy has taken his
department.
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AP writer Ali Swenson contributed to this report.
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