MAHA’s sway over HHS could face a fresh test now that President Trump has a new pick for CDC director: Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general.

The position has been empty since August, when Susan Monarez was ousted after clashes with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Like Monarez, Schwartz is a more traditional public health choice, with a track record of supporting vaccination. But a crucial question will be just how much independence she has from Kennedy’s influence and agenda on immunization.

Tomorrow on Post-Hoc Live at 11 a.m. ET, we’ve got a crossover episode! We’ll be joined by Why Should I Trust You? host Brinda Adhikari, whose show takes a look at the MAHA movement and changing trust in public health. Adhikari will be chatting with me and Endpoints’ MAHA expert Max Bayer to talk about how Schwartz could stabilize a turbulent CDC and what the pick says about MAHA’s standing in Trumpworld.

We’ll be streaming live on YouTube, and you can set a calendar alert to get a reminder.

See you there!

— Drew Armstrong, Executive Editor

Subscribe for Updates

Copyright 2025 dijee Intelligence Ltd.   dijee Intelligence Ltd. is a private limited company registered in England and Wales at Media House, Sopers Road, Cuffley, Hertfordshire, EN6 4RY, UK registration number 16808844