Trump nominates Heidi Overton to lead US Food and Drug Administration

President says Overton will champion ‘America First’ policies at regulatory agency focused on drugs, public health.

US President Donald Trump has selected Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a federal regulatory body that oversees food safety, drug standards and public health.

Trump stated in a social media post on Wednesday that Overton, a policy aide who previously worked at a Trump-aligned think tank, would promote “America First” policies at the agency.

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“Today I am honoured to nominate the wonderful Dr Heidi Overton, MD, PhD, as our next FDA Commissioner,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Dr Heidi has been a ROCKSTAR in my Administration, where she has worked directly with [Health and Human Services] Secretary Kennedy, Dr Oz, and team, to deliver on the MOST TRANSFORMATIVE Health Agenda in History. She is known to take on the HARDEST issues, and bring me solutions that work best for the Country.”

Overton’s nomination seeks to fill a vacancy at the FDA after the previous director, Dr Marty Makary, resigned in May. Overton must now be confirmed by the US Senate.

The Trump administration has had a rocky relationship with health agencies, where many staff and experts have baulked at efforts by the president and his allies to upend years of scientific consensus on issues such as vaccines.

While the Republican Party holds a slim majority in the US Senate, other health nominees have faced scepticism from lawmakers around their positions on vaccines and other issues. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who has a background as a doctor and has expressed such concerns in the past, expressed doubts about Overton in a social media post on Wednesday, suggesting that her confirmation could face hurdles.

“While I respect Dr Overton’s experience as a physician, I have strong concerns about her nomination to be FDA Commissioner. Her lack of managerial experience does not prepare her well for leading a large organisation that is already dealing with staffing and morale issues,” said Cassidy. “Additionally, Dr Overton’s active role in last week’s nonsensical vaccine executive order calls into question her commitment to standing up for sound science and protecting children’s health. That alone is almost disqualifying.”

Overton’s LinkedIn profile states that she attended medical school at the University of New Mexico and holds a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins University. Before joining the Trump administration, she worked as chief policy officer at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank that promotes Trump’s priorities.

She has become a trusted member of Trump’s White House during his second term in office, and has been critical of abortion pills, a central focus of anti-abortion activists who have sought greater restrictions on their access.

Overton also appeared alongside Trump as he promoted a push to create “most favoured nation” deals with drug companies to lower the cost of medical drugs in the US. Trump said on Wednesday that she would help deliver on that issue and other key promises.