White House explains dismissal of CDC director
發佈日期: 2025-08-29 21:07
TVB News
U.S. President Donald Trump has personally fired Susan Monarez, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During her briefing with reporters, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez was asked by U.S. health secretary, Robert Kennedy Jr. to resign and she said she would "but then said she wouldn't."
She said this prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to fire her.
"The secretary asked her to resign," said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "She said she would, and then she said she wouldn't, so the president fired her, which he has every right to do. It was President Trump who was overwhelmingly re-elected on November 5th. This woman has never received a vote in her life, and the president has the authority to fire those who are not aligned with his mission."
Meanwhile, three CDC officials who resigned late Wednesday returned near the agency's headquarters Thursday to hundreds of cheering current and former workers.
They spoke out publicly about the rift between the Trump administration and workers tasked with the critical work the agency needs to continue.
"You know, when I resigned , I think the three of us don't intend to get our jobs back," said Debra Houry, a former CDC official. "Do I love CDC? Would I'd love to go back? Yes , but I can't go back to this CDC. I left because the CDC needs to change. "
Since taking the job, Kennedy has made alleged false and unscientific claims about vaccines. These include stating measles vaccines contain cells from aborted fetuses and the mumps vaccinations do not work.
However, speaking while on a visit to Texas as part of a bid to improve public health in the state, Kennedy suggested the CDC is back on the right track.
He said: "There's a lot of trouble at CDC and it's gonna require getting rid of some people over the long term in order for us to change the institutional culture and bring back pride and self-esteem and make that agency the stellar agency that it's always been."
