Trump Overrides Health Officials, Dismisses Vaccine Regulator Prasad

Washington, D.C. – President Donald Trump overruled Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary on Tuesday, ordering the removal of the government’s top vaccine regulator, Dr. Prasad. This decision comes just three months after Prasad took the job and amid increasing pressure from right-wing groups.

Insiders with knowledge of the decision, who requested anonymity, revealed that both Kennedy and Makary opposed Prasad’s dismissal. One insider expressed concern, saying, “I worry now RFK will get hardcore anti-vaxxers in there.” Attempts to contact Prasad for comment were unsuccessful, and the White House did not respond to inquiries about the situation.

The push against Prasad intensified when conservative activist Laura Loomer targeted him on social media, labeling him a “progressive leftist saboteur.” Her criticism began on July 20, shortly after she and other conservative voices questioned Prasad’s management of rare disease therapies, claiming it could limit patient choices.

In another political development, documents have revealed that over 15 coal plants have sought exemptions from the Trump administration’s environmental regulations by simply emailing the EPA. This new exemption process, created in March, has allowed numerous facilities, including chemical plants and mines, to bypass environmental rules intended to reduce harmful emissions.

Critics are now sounding alarms over a provision in a House appropriations bill that may provide similar legal protections for pesticide manufacturers that vaccine makers currently enjoy. This provision has drawn sharp comparisons to a law from 1986 that shielded vaccine producers from liability, raising concerns among public health advocates.

As Trump continues to implement policies aimed at facilitating growth in industries like data centers, he also seeks to amend the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to streamline the permitting process. Critics argue that this undermines important environmental protections that have been in place for decades.