Makary out as FDA commissioner after tumultuous tenure, pro-life criticism

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — President Donald Trump on May 12 confirmed that Marty Makary, the embattled FDA commissioner criticized by pro-life advocates and others, will depart from his post.

Pro-life groups were among Makary’s critics after the FDA’s approval during his tenure of a new generic form of mifepristone — a pill commonly, but not exclusively, used for early abortion.

“Marty is a terrific guy, but he’s going to go on and he’s going to lead a good life,” Trump told reporters at the White House May 12 before departing for a planned trip to China. “He was having some difficulty. You know, he’s a great doctor — and he was having some difficulty — but he’s going to go on, and he’s going to do well.”

Trump later said on his social media website, Truth Social, that Kyle Diamantas, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for food, whom he called “a very talented person,” will take on the position in an acting capacity. The role requires Senate confirmation.

“Everybody wants this job,” Trump added.

Makary’s tumultuous tenure was marked by rumors of staffing issues and other dysfunction at the FDA. His critics included allies of Trump in the health industry, as well as pro-life organizations.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which works to elect pro-life candidates to public office, previously called for Makary to be fired after the FDA’s approval of a new mifepristone generic, amid reports that he was slow-walking a promised safety review of that drug. The White House in December stood by Makary after SBA’s call to fire him.

However, those frustrations continued six months later. The head of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee also wrote to Markary and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a May 4 letter expressing concern about “reports alleging a deliberate delay in the completion of that review” and urging the FDA “to proceed as expeditiously as possible.”

On May 12, Marjorie Dannenfelser, SBA’s president, said in written comments to OSV News, “We look forward to a new FDA commissioner who will put an end to the mail-order abortion drug regime.”

“We must return immediately to the first Trump administration standard of in-person dispensing to protect women from coercion and abuse and allow the enforcement of pro-life state laws,” she said.

Dannenfelser further argued that public opinion “is firmly on the side of reinstating in-person dispensing” for mifepristone.

“Diverse polls consistently find Americans strongly oppose mail-order abortion drugs and want to reinstate face-to-face medical evaluations, including majorities of Independents, Democrats and liberal voters,” she said.

The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and as such, opposes direct abortion.

Approved by the FDA for early abortion in 2000, mifepristone — the first of two drugs used in a medication-based abortion — gained the moniker “the abortion pill.”

However, the same drug combination has sometimes been used in recent years for miscarriage care, where an unborn child has already passed, a case that Catholic teaching would hold as morally licit use.

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