In an unexpected turn of events, the White House has rescinded its nomination for the role of Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mere hours before the nominee was slated to appear before a Senate committee for confirmation proceedings.
The Trump administration withdrew the nomination of Dave Weldon after concluding that he lacked the necessary backing to secure Senate approval, an official disclosed to CBS News, a media affiliate of the BBC.
Up until this point, the Senate had confirmed all of President Trump’s appointees, even those whose selections had sparked considerable controversy.
Weldon had been scheduled to present testimony before the Senate Health Committee on Thursday at 10:00 AM EST (14:00 GMT).
In November, Trump tapped the 71-year-old physician and former Republican congressman to helm the CDC. His nomination marked a historic precedent, as a recent law enacted by Congress in 2022 mandated, for the first time, that the CDC director undergo Senate confirmation.
Both the White House and Weldon have yet to issue official remarks regarding the nomination’s withdrawal, despite inquiries from the BBC.
In a conversation with The New York Times, Weldon conveyed a mix of emotions regarding the decision.
“It came as a surprise, yet in some respects, it’s a relief,” he remarked. “Serving in government is a profound commitment, and if this isn’t where God intends me to be, then I am at peace with that.”
As the nation’s leading public health authority, the CDC is responsible for overseeing immunization policies, monitoring the proliferation of infectious diseases, and spearheading efforts to mitigate chronic health conditions.
Weldon had previously voiced enthusiasm about collaborating with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department supervises the CDC, to implement his ambitious “Make America Healthy Again” initiative.
Additionally, he underscored his longstanding friendship with Kennedy, as noted by the BBC.
Kennedy, however, has drawn scrutiny over his management of recent measles outbreaks, which have afflicted over 250 individuals across the country.
A vocal skeptic of measles vaccinations and other routine childhood immunizations, Kennedy downplayed the outbreak’s severity, labeling it as “not unusual,” while advocating for alternative treatments that lack broad endorsement from mainstream medical professionals.
Weldon himself has a history of disseminating vaccine-related misinformation, including debunked assertions linking immunizations to autism.
Prior to his nomination, Weldon served 14 years in Congress before stepping down in 2009. For the past 13 years, he has held a clinical professorship in biomedical engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology, according to his LinkedIn profile.
When nominating Weldon, Trump emphasized that public trust in the CDC had eroded, stating that Weldon “deeply values American families and prioritizes their well-being.”
