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Susan Monarez, the longtime federal government scientist who was confirmed as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in late July, is leaving her position just weeks into her tenure.

The Department for Health and Human Services confirmed Monarez’s departure in an X post Wednesday evening.

“Susan Monarez is no longer director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We thank her for her dedicated service to the American people,” the agency wrote, noting that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy “has full confidence in his team” at the CDC.

HHS did not give a reason for Monarez’s exit. The agency did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment. The Washington Post first broke the news.

President Donald Trump nominated Monarez following the withdrawal of his first pick, former Republican congressman David Weldon. Her departure comes shortly after a shooting on the CDC Atlanta campus on August 8th, which killed DeKalb County police officer David Rose.

Monarez, who secured Senate approval in a party-line vote, was the first director of the CDC to be confirmed by the upper chamber and the only non-physician to lead the agency. When she was sworn into her role on July 31st, Kennedy called Monarez “a public health expert with unimpeachable scientific credentials.”

“I have full confidence in her ability to restore the CDC’s role as the most trusted authority in public health and to strengthen our nation’s readiness to confront infectious diseases and biosecurity threats,” Kennedy said at the time.

Before her confirmation as CDC Director, Monarez served as Acting Director for the agency and Deputy Director for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

Monarez is not the first Trump Administration official to be dismissed shortly after starting their role. Earlier this month, Billy Long was removed as Internal Revenue Service chief two months after he was confirmed. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent took over as acting commissioner of the agency.

During President Trump’s first term, several top officials were removed after brief stints in his Administration in the initial months after he entered the White House, including Anthony Scaramucci, who was the White House Communications Director for just ten days.

Former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn in 2017 was asked to resign from his post after 24 days, the shortest tenure for anyone in that position.

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By: Connor Greene
Title: CDC Director Susan Monarez Leaving Weeks Into Job
Sourced From: time.com/7312827/susan-monarez-cdc-director/
Published Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2025 21:35:24 +0000

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